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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series 


CIHM/iCMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


<V 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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D 


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D 
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D 
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D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


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D 


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This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  i£tio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film^  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

V 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


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to  the  generosity  of: 

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History  Department 

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TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
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beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  11  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nScessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m6thode. 


M 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

DRUMMOND 

ISLAND 


THE   STORY 

OF    THF. 


BRITISH  OCCUPATION 


181S-1828 


i 


BY 


SAMUEL   F.    COOK 


AUTHORS   EDITION 


LANSING   MICH 

i8q6 


k    1 


^1 


i 


METROPOLITAN 

TCn  ■  ■] 

CEiV  I  fi  ,L 

LIBRARY 


Hjstofy 


Entered  nccoi(lrii«-  to  Act  of  Conjrress,  in  the  year  18%, 

Hy  Samvki,  F.  '"ook, 

III  tlie  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


Sr^^O 


f 


ptcei  of 

IRobci't  Sinitb  ptiiitiuii  Co., 

lansiud,  ftiich. 


MMiiiiiiBiii 


'^ 


¥ 


TO 

Hon.  %\ist\i\\  H.  i^tcex-f, 

THK    KII'K    SCHOLAR    AND    EMINKNT   JIKIST, 

THK    ARDENT   COI.I.KCTOK    OF    RARE   VOLUMES   OF 

HISTORY    AND    I.EOEND   OF   THE 

GREAT    NORTHWEST, 

AND   CAREFUI,  STUDENT   OF   THEIR    VARIED 

CONTENTS, 

THIS      IJTTr.E      VOI.l'ME      IS 

MOST    KESI'ECTFII.I.V 

DEDICATED. 


I 


^ 


JUllTISH   OCCUPATION 


1       ■; 


OP 


DRUMMOND  ISLAND 


I. 


Lying  across  the  nortljern  end  of  Lake 
Huron,  and  separated  from  the  main  land  of 
tlie  upper  peninsula  of  Miohigau  by  the  strait 
of  the  Detour,  is  an  ish^nd,  twenty  by  thirteen 
miles  in  extreme  length  and  breadth,  and  com- 
prising an  area  of  about  one  liundied  and 
eighteen  square  miles.  Its  shores  are  lined 
with  beautiful  harbor  bays,  which  are  thickly 
studded  with  snmll  islands  whose  high  lying 
surfaces  are  decked  with  a  dense  covering  of 
l)erennial  green.  Streams  and  small  woodland 
lakes  abound  on  the  island,  which  is  densely 
Avooded  with  both  the  larger  and  smaller 
growths  native  to  that  northern  clime. 


K.  S 


i 


M 


British    Orciipdtioii 


What  may  be  called  the  southwestern  corner 
of  this  island,  is  a  long  point  of  high  rocky  for- 
mation, averaging  less  than  a  mile  in  width,  the 
sunny  southeastern  slope  of  which  looks  out  on 
a  bay  in  which  are  numerous  islands,  and 
affords  both  1  uid  and  waterscape  views  of  no 
ordinary  beauty.  On  the  west  side  or  this  point 
is  the  DetoDi  strai  — the  pathway  of  the  im- 
mense commerce  passing  through  the  St.  Mary's 
river.  On  the  eastern  side  of  the  point,  in  a  lo- 
cality which  seems  to  have  been  chosen  more 
on  account  of  its  beauty  than  for  its  value  for 
military  strategy,  the  British  flag  Hoated  and 
the  red  coats  i)erformed  garrison  duty,  during 
a  period  of  thirteen  years,  in  defiance  of  the 
treaty  of  Ghent,  the  award  of  Ihe  boundary 
commissioners  thereunder,  and  the  comity  of 
nations. 


A  recent  visitor  remarks  of  this  once  impor- 
tant spot,  that  ''It  is  wonderfully  beaiitiful  and 
interesting  in  its  ])i'<'sent  loneliness,  but  to 
nearlv  everv  one,  in  these  later  times  its  his- 


f 


of   Di'iniimoiid   Iftland. 


toiy  is  a  scaled  book."  Where  once  was  the 
life  and  bustle  of  a  military  post,  j?arnsoned  by 
warlike  Uritftn!?*.  now  are  only  the  remains — 
and  s;id  ones — of  the  populous  and  w*  11  built 
garrison  town.  There  are  bi'oad  and  well 
{graded  avenues  lined  with  Lombardy  poplars, 
roads  upon  which  was  handled  the  heavy  artil- 
lery, great  chimneys  of  stone  with  their  ample 
fireplaces,  marking  where  stood  upwards  of 
fifty  buildings,  kitchen  garden  plats  grown  up 
to  luxuriant  grass,  wild  flowers  and  under- 
brush intermingled  with  I'ose  bushes  which 
still  bear  their  sweet  blossoms,  while  apple, 
cherry,  plum  and  pear  trees  are  not  infrequent, 
and  still  yield  their  fruit.  And  at  no  great  dis- 
tance lies  the  city  of  the  sleeping  dead,  who 
since  their  comrades  were  driven  thence,  hav(! 
been  undisturbed  by  the  sunrise  gun,  and  over 
whom  the  winds  alone  have  chanted  re(iuiems. 


* 
*     » 


Today,  the  town  and  garrison  sites  may  be 
readily  traced,  and   with  the  aid  of   the  map 


Ilk 


■• 


8 


lirltish    OccupatUm 


Avliich  lias  Imh'H   ((mstvuetod   partly   from  the 
sketches  of  the   engineer   officers,   and  partly 
from  the   detailed   accounts   sent  forward    to 
headipiarters  by  the  commandants,  the  lines  of 
the    fictvernment    buildings    and    the    private 
houses,   with  th(Mr   sro'»ids-    '"'V^'   ^><^  readily 
made  out.     Home  of  the  houses  were  of  large 
si/e.  and  were  warmed    during  the    long  and 
severe  winters   by  means  of    enormous  stone 
chimneys  having    huge    fireplaces    on    two  of 
their  sides.     A  few  of  the  chimneys  show  that 
the  houses  which  were  about  them  were  two 
storied  structures;  but  this  was  true  of  but  a 
few.     In  addition  to  the  more  solid  and  com- 
fortable homes  of  the  more  opulent  of  the  in- 
habitants, very  many  of  the  people  found  not 
uncomfortable    shelter    in    structures    called 
''bark  lodges."    These  were  made  of  a  frame- 
work of  poles,   covered  over,    roof  and    sides, 
with  cedar  bark.     Houses  of   that  kind  were 
very  comfortable  while  new,  but  decayed  very 
rapidly,  and  were  liable  to  take  fire  and  bo  con- 
sumed almost   in  a  breath.     When    Col.  T.  L. 
^McKenney,  the  traveler  and  writer  on  iudian 
affairs,  visited  the  place  in  1827,  cmly  the  year 


m 


: 


i 


a: 
u 
I- 
tr 
< 

a 
05 

IT 

UJ 

O 


z 
< 
z 

ul 

IT 


*i 


of  Dntmmond  Island. 


11 


1 


it 


before  it«  abandonment,  he  found  the  post  snr- 
jjeon,  who  had  recently  aiiived  from  London 
with  a  yonns  bride,  lionsed  in  a  structure  of 
this  kind,  and  seeminjily  contented  with  his 
home  and  its  appointments. 


* 
«     » 


Darin}?  tlieir  stay,  neitlier  .-iti/.ens  or  civil- 
ians seem  to  hav«^  been  la}iS'ii'<l  i"  ^''^^  matter 
of  providinj--  for  their  own  comfort,  expectinii', 
as  we  can  but  infer,  that  there  was  to  be  tlieii 
liermanent  home.     The  kitchens  of  the  lar}»er 
liouses,  of  which  the  locaticm    of  twenty-two 
can  be  made   out   with   reasonable    certainty, 
were  separate  from  the   houses,   and  in  some 
instances  at  quite  a  distance  away.    There  are 
now  no  traces  of  an  oven  in  connection  with 
any  of  the  houses,  nor  indeed  any  cranes  in  the 
tireplaces,  and  it  would  seem  that  the  private 
as  well  as  the  public  bakin}"-  was  done  in  the 
large  bake  house,  situated  on  a  little  neck  of 
land  projectinjj;  into  the  bay,  and  nearly  sur- 
rounded bv  water.     The  nearness  of  the  rock 


m 


12 


British   Occupation 


to  the  surface,  rendering  the  digging  of  cellars 
too  onerous,  resort  was  had  to  surface  cellars, 
some  of  which  are  yet  so  well  preserved  as  to 
give  evidence  of  their  purpose. 


ft 


» 

*     * 


A  short  distance  south  of  the  town  are  the 
remains  of  a  lime  kiln,  and  an  open  quarry 
close  at  hand.  The  quality  of  the  lime  which 
was  burned  there,  must  have  been  excellent, 
since  it  has  withstood  the  action  of  the 
Aveather  for  two-thirds  of  a  century,  with  but 
slight  evidence  of  decay.  The  structures  which 
surrounded  those  chimneys  crumbled  to  mold 
more  than  half  a  century  ago,  but  the  chimneys 
themselves  stand  as  witnesses  to  the  quality 
of  their  building.  On  the  east  side  of  the  long 
arm  of  the  bay  extending  north  of  the  town 
was  at  some  time  a  saw  mill,  as  is  shown  by 
the  vestiges  of  the  tlume,  the  dam  and  the  foun- 
dation timbers  which  have  been  preserved  by 
the  action  of  the  water.  Neither  the  traditions 
of  the  island  or  the  main  land  record  anything 


i 


y 


m 


of  Drnmmoml  Islond. 


13 


more  of  this  mill  than  is  evident  to  the  eye  to- 
day. It  is  evident  that  sawed  lumber  was  used 
to  some  extent  in  the  buildings,  since  even  now 
a  few  boards  can  be  found  hidden  in  the  rank 
grass  covering  the  spots  where  houses  formerly 
stood,  bearing  the  nail  mark:3!  peculiar  to  roof 
boards.  It  is  fairly  certain  that  the  mill  does 
not  belong  to  any  recent  date,  and  it  seems 
probable  that  by  its  aid,  the  lumber  necessary 
to  give  to  some  of  the  houses,  at  least,  an  air 
of  finish,  was  prepared. 


» 
*     * 


\)'i 


The  structures  used  by  the  garrison  were 
unusually  large  for  log  houses,  and  were  also 
more  scattered  than  was  usual  in  those  days 
for  military  posts.  The  parade  ground  fronted 
on  the  bay,  and  the  barracks  and  commissary 
buildings  were  at  its  western  border,  while 
back  of  these  a  rocky  hill  rose  suddenly.  The 
officers'  quarters  were  scattered  here  and  there 
in  such  manner  as,  judging  from  the  appear- 
ance at  the  present  time,  they  chanced  to  be 


14 


Jiritlsh   OccKpathn 


dropped  dovMi.  without  assijiunient  of  location 
by  the  engineer  or  reference  to  the  other  build 


The  boulevard  which  ]>assed  on  the  east 
front  of  the  town  site  lots  and  thenci'  to  the 
parade  ground,  beyond  which  it  again  appears 
as  the  artillery  road  to  the  shore  of  the  Detour 
strait,  is  now  after  the  lapse  of  so  many  years, 
as  perfect  in  form  as  when  constructed.  Deej) 
gutter  lines  at  the  edges  of  a  well  rounded 
roadway,  cari'y  the  water  quickly  away,  and 
the  summer  torrents  and  dei)arting  winter 
snows  have  not  succeeded  in  injuring  its  true 
alignment.  This  roadway,  for  the  distance  of 
about  two  thousand  feet,  its  northerly  end  be- 
ginning some  five  hundred  feet  from  the  bay,  is 
treble  the  width  of  the  artillery  road. 

The  bold  curve  of  land  into  the  bay  at  the 
east  side  of  the  boulevard  was  reserved,  with- 
out any  buildings,  for  gardens,  and  near  its 
center  is  the  ruin  of  an  unusually  large  cellar 
which  must  have  furnished  ample  storage  for 


=ssBass^s^sa^^^BSSSm 


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CENTRAL 
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MMiiilii 


of   Dnimiiiond  Island. 


17 


# 


tilt'  ])i'o(oclion  of  all  llio  jiotatoes  and  other 
v('}i('tabU'S  lUH'dcd  by  the  jiavvison  foi-  a.  scasou. 
On  eilhor  Hide  of  the  I'oadway  was  a  space  of 
twenty-live  fe 't  for  lawn,  and  then  a  row  of 
Lonibardy  pojilars,  qnite  a  ninnber  of  Vvliich 
are  yet  sustaininp,'  a  vijioroMs  life,  drawn  from 
the  porous  limestone  rock,  with  the  aid  of  very 
liHle  soil.  The  labor  and  expense  incident  +o 
tlie  construction  of  this  boulevard  were  not 
slight;  and  considering:  the  fact  that  during  all 
the  period  of  the  occujiation  the  local  army 
chest  was  hani])ered  for  funds  for  the  n«'eded 
re]»air  of  the  buildinjjs  of  the  post,  it  may  be 
believed  that  the  expense  was  met  from 
sources  other  than  those  apparent.  The  in- 
habitants, no  doubt,  made  contribulions  of 
money  and  labor,  but  it  would  not  be  strange 
if  considerable  quantities  of  the  ])resents 
charged  out  as  distributed  by  the  Indian  de- 
partment were  used  in  jiayment  for  the  labor 
exiiemled  on  this  excellent  piece  of  road,  which 
was  not  of  easy  construction.  Tlie  same  is 
(rue  of  the  artillery  road,  which  was  deemed 
by  those  in  command  at  the  post  as  necessary 
for  the  transport  of  the  heavy  cannon  to  the 

3 


I 


wa 


18 


British    Oiruftaiiou 


otlu'i-  sia»'  of  the  I'idjie  in  case  tluMV  sliould  be 
iit'iHl  to  warn  away  or  ciifiafic  an  cnciny  ap- 
proacliinii-  by  way  of  I  be  Detour  strait.  When 
buili.  ■■■^  ni.ide  a  wonderfully  fine  drive,  but  the 
orders  from  lieadiinarters  did  not  allow  of  any 
expenditures  of  that  kind.  Uuilt  it  was.  and 
yet  remains,  grass  }i,rown  and  euiboweri'd  in 
thick  shacv ,  as  a  jtroof  of  unwillinj;ness  to  sub- 
mit to  the  inevitable. 

Over  those  roads  the  dwellers  there,  no 
doubt,  took  their  carriaKt"  drives  with  their 
wives,  their  children  or  their  sweethearts.  Nor 
,nin  Ave  doubt  that  al(Uif>-  those  charming 
stretches  of  boulevard  and  mountain  road, 
many  ha]>py  moments  were  spent  by  |);'ople 
who,  shut  off  from  the  world  at  large,  had  the 
tact  and  sjiirit  to  ]»rovide  themselves  with 
IhoK"  comfortable  surroundings  which  should 
remove  the  disagreeable  from  their  lives. 


* 


The  little  cemetery,  situated  about  half  way 
between  the  town  and  the  toi»  of  the  ridge  to 


mm 


31 


SBi 


> 

IT 
UJ 

h- 
uJ 
S 
ul 
o 

u 

I 


of    Dnitinimnd   IsJaiuL 


21 


the  west,  was  an  object  of  no  little  thouj-ht  an-l 
careful  attention.  At  the  j»resent  lime  it  is  so 
fille<l  with  rank  {irowlhs  of  trees  and  bushes 
that  it  .is  obseured  from  view  even  from  tlie 
artillery  road  which  passes  it  not  more  than 
fifty  feet  away.  This  place  for  burial  was  laid 
out  one  hundred  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet, 
and  was  surrounded  by  a  fence  made  of  cedar 
posts  hewed  uniformly  six  inches  square,  and 
set  in  the  ground  four  inches  apart.  It  would 
seem  that  the  death-rate  at  the  post  must  have 
been  unusually  large  for  that  healthful  cli- 
mate, since  as  nearly  as  can  now  be  made  out 
very  little  room  was  left  within  this  inclosure, 
unoccupied,  when  the  last  interment  was  made. 
It  is  known,  however,  that  the  first  to  l)e  laid 
here  Avere  a  large  number  of  soldiers  who 
Avere  so  sadly  neglected  by  the  govern- 
ment they  served,  as  to  their  food  supjily 
and  the  medical  care  thereby  rendered 
necessary,  that  they  were  carried  oft"  bv 
the  scurvy.  This  little  hamlet  of  the  dead 
was  not  for  those  alone  whom  death  had 
discharg<'<l  from  the  sei-vice  of  the  King,  but 
iiuy  of  liis  faitliful  subjects  who  for  anv  cause 


22 


lirltish    Orviipation 


Avcrc  (Iwcllns  in  Hint  vcf-ioii  when  their  tiiial 
suiMiiKtiis  «jini('.  found  Iumm'  a  icstinji-  i)lii(r. 
Tlic  intcnncnts  Jippcar  to  have  bej^nin  iit  the 
southwest  cornel-  and  to  have  been  in  i'e«;uhiv 
rowH  with  litth'  sjjace  between  the  jjraves.  All 
the  certain  vacant  space  now  reniaininj--.  is  a 
]»art  of  tlie  last  row  on  tlu'  east  sid<'.  Around 
three  of  the  ;;raves  are  neat  i>alinji,s  of  ]»ickets. 
At  a  number  of  the  jjraves  are  larjie  head 
boards,  thick  and  substantially  prepared.  Over 
the  I'ounded  top  is  an  iron  band  to  protect  the 
<;rain  of  the  wood  from  the  weather,  and  the 
inscrii)tious  made  with  black  i>ain1  show  not 
only  unusiial  skill  in  leltt'rin^,  bi't  a  rare  (lual- 
ity  of  i»aint  which  has  withstood  the  weather 
sulTich'ntly  to  remain  after  the  rain  and  wind 
of  half  a  century  has  W(»rn  away  the  wood 
anmnd  the  letters  so  that  they  stand  out  in  re- 
lief as  thoufih  emVtossed. 


Only  a  little  more  than  half  a  century  seems 
to  have  effaced  from  the  memory  more  than  it 


■na 


of   J)riiiiiiii()ii(l    IsUiikL 


23 


lijis  been  able  to  fioiii  tlu*  fju'c  of  the  island; 
for  tlie  story  of  the  cstablisbiiKMit,  bjiildinji;. 
oc*c'ui»aii<y  and  rclinciuishnicnt  of  the  niilitarj' 
]»ost  sccniH  w(dl  nij;h  forji'ottcn,  even  by  those 
wliosc  lives  have  licen  spent  in  the  immediate 
neij^hboi-hood.  IJut  the  oJKicer  who  found<*d 
the  ]»ost.  and  his  suecessors  in  command  as 
well,  were  }i<)od  letter  writers  who  neglected 
no  o]»|>()rtunity  to  inform  their  superiors  of  the 
occurrences  there,  nor  omitted  from  their  re- 
]»orts  tlu*  rumors  wafted  to  them  from  far  dis- 
tant i-ejiions.  Their  letters  analyzed  and  com- 
I)ared.  furnish  the  story  of  this  well  nigh  for- 
gotten spot  in  (he  midst  of  the  great  unsalted 
seas. 


24 


British   Occupation 


11. 


Tlic  sijiniiiii'  of  the  tivaty  of  (ilicnt,  Dcccm- 
bei-  28,  1814,  found   tlic   island  of    Miuddnaw. 
with  its  foi-tincations,  in  tlic  possession  of  tli-- 
liiitish;  but  nndci-  tlic  Icrnis  of  tlu,'  livaty  this 
island  bocauie  aj-ain  the  proiKU'ty  of  tho  Tuitcd 
States,  and  made  necessary  the  transfer  of  the 
British  j^arrison  to  scnne  other  itoint.     Whe!'e 
that  point  should  be,  was  to  be  determined  by 
the  an^Mely  of  the  F.ritish  otticers  in  command 
in  America,  to  retain    conlnd  of   the  i)assa{ie 
between  the  upper  and  lower  lakes,  and  per- 
chance, to  found  a  second!  Jibraltar,  whose  fiuns 
should  comi)el  oViedience  to  the  royal  mandale; 
but  more  especially  the  anxiety  to  retain  the 
]iresliji('  auionji'  Ihe    Indian   tribes    for  which 
they  had  labored  so  hard  and  had  enjoyed  so 
lou^-.     11  is  a  matter  of  note  thai  th<>  news  of 
Ihe  siy-ninji'  of  Ihe  treaty,  and  the  consetiuent 
close  of  the  wai'  was  so  hm^'  a  time  in  reaching 
the  northwestern  frontier  that  hostilities  did 
nol  cease  in  the  vicinity  of  Maekinaw  until  late 


:: 


? 


of  Dniinmoiid  Island. 


25 


- 


in  the  spi'ii)g  of  1815.  The  messenger  sent  with 
the  dispatches  and  orders  relative  to  the  carry- 
ing ont  of  the  treaty,  was  two  months  on  the 
road  from  Yorlc,  now  IVu'onto,  to  ^Mackinaw; 
and  rumor  had  ample  time  to  convey  to  the 
]>ost  commander  the  general  nature  of  (he 
news  which  he  might  ex])ect  subsequently  to 
learn  officially. 

Tt  was  not  until  Mux  11,  1815,  that  Lieut. 
Col.  ^NlcDonall,  in  connnand  at  Mackinaw,  re- 
ceived the  offii'ial  dispatches,  with  a  cojty  of 
the  treaty,  and  instructions  to  prepare  for  the 
turning  over  of  that  post  to  the  United  States 
military  authorities.  Those  instructioit.s  c(»m- 
](relund('d  not  only  the  evacuation  of  that,  to 
the  Diitisli,  important  post,  but  the  comman- 
dant was  enjoined  to  select  some  place  in  the 
same  neighborhood  which  could  be  a  i)oint  of 
defense  and  offense,  there  to  irect  tem])orary 
(piarters  for  the  garrison  and  shelter  for  the 
government  stores,  and  to  remove  his  com- 
mand lhilh(>r. 

4 


26 


British   Occupation 


liv  tlu'Si'  instructions  McDoniill   was  sorely 
]MM|ilt'X('(l.      His  siM-viccs  on   tlic  frontier  had 
made  liiiu  tlu'  sjioivcsnian  on  behalf  ol'  the  Kinj; 
\vith  the  indian  tribes  of  the  whole  northwest. 
The  country  included  in  his  connnand  Avas,  to 
use  his  own  words,  };Tea1er  in  extent  than  the 
whole  of  Lower  Canada  ;  and  from  his  intimate 
relaticuis  with  the  indian  tribes,  and  the  pioni- 
ises  he  had  In'ld  out  to  them  on  behalf  of  th;' 
Kin^',  it  seemed  to  him    that  in  relimiuishinji 
the  island  of  ^lackinaw.    for  a  lonj;-  period  a 
favorite  resort  for  numerous  ti-ibes  who  were 
accustomed   to  <iather  there   from   re^icujs  as 
far  distant  as  the  basin  of  the  .Mississi|»i)i  and 
the  Ked  riv<'r  of  the  north,  he  would  be  leav- 
ing' them  to  a  fate  which  they  did  not  des<'rve, 
while  the    Uritish    would    lose    the  intluence 
which  they  had  souji'ht  and  so  lonj>'  maintained 
o  -er  these  allies.     To    him    it    appeared  botli 
]»olitic  and  necessary  ths)t  the  new  post  slunild 
be  so  situated  as  to  be  easily  accessible  to  the 
itidians.  and  capable   lA'  beinj;'    made    of  even 
more   stratejiic    importance     than    Mackinaw. 
The  fort   he  had  in  contemplati(»n  must,  with 
its  surroundin^'H,  be  such  'is  t(t  insure  the  re- 


■(i 


■ 


, 


Q 

Z 

o 

or 
C3 

UJ 

a 
< 

1 

a. 

ul 

X 
I- 

O) 

o 
a 
o 
< 

z 

o 

o 


^ 


of   Jtriiiiniiond   Island. 


29 


spt'ct  of  the  allied  tribes,  :ni(l  cause  lliem  to 
look  Avitli  disdain  upon  ^hickinaw  as  the  rep- 
resentation among  them  of  an  inferior  power. 


* 


To  build  a  new  army  post  in  that  country  and 
at  that  time  was  no  easy  task,  for  the  British 
military  system  was  not  supple,  and  Hie  red 
tape  necessary  for  even    tiilling   expenditures 
from  the  military  chest  was  well  nigh  unlim- 
ited.   r»ut  the  urgency  of  the  matter  was  great. 
The  Tnited  Stales  authorities,  fr<nn  the  Secre- 
tary of  Slate  d<»\vn  lo  the  subalterns  in  com- 
mand of  fnmtier  outposts,  were  i)ressing  com- 
jiliance  with  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  and  frame 
excuses  for  delay  as  he  would,  INfcDouall   real- 
ized at  the  outset  that  no  great  length  of  time 
could  elapse  before  he  must  yu'ld  to  the  inevit- 
able,   lie  n\ust  remove  his  garriscm,  but  where 
should  he  i)lant  the  Hag  of  the  King?     In  his 
dispatches  to  his  superiors  he  discussed  every 
sj»ot  that    seemed    to   him   available;   the  St. 
Marv's  river,     St.    .Iose])h     island,    the  (Jreat 


30 


British   Occupation 


liliinitonlin  island  and  the  island  just  east  of 
Point  Detour,  for  which  he  jiave  no  name.  The 
Falls  of  St.  Mary,  with  many  advantafj;es,  was 
a  i)()int  too  far  removed  from  Mackinaw.  St. 
Joseph  island,  although  occu]>ied  by  the  North- 
west com])any  as  a  trading  i»ost,  and  where 
they  had  buildings  which  luid  cost  six  thou- 
sand ]»ounds  sterling,  was  unfit  for  fortiflca- 
lion,  and  no  locality  on  the  (ireat  ]\ranitouliu 
seemed  to  nu'et  the  demands  of  the  case.  But 
nu»ve  he  must,  and  seeing  as  yet  no  way  out  of 
the  dilemma.  :McDonall  began  the  shipnu'nt  of 
(luantities  of  commissary  and  Indian  stores  to 
St.  Joseph  island,  where  they  could  be  conve- 
niently stored  in  the  amjtle  warehouses  of  the 
Northwest  com]»any. 


tl 


There  was  one  (|uestion  which  caus(»d  Lt. 
Col.  .McDonall  no  little  uneasiness,  and  to 
which  lie  constantly  reverted  in  his  disjtatches 
— whether  wherever  the  new  i>ost  might  be  lo- 
cated it  would  not  tinallv  be  acceded  to  be  on 


(if   Dnnninoud  Island. 


31 


tiM-ritory  bcloiiyiiiji'  to  tiic  rnitcrt  States.  With 
this  tVelin}>'  of  donl»t  in  his  luiiul,  tlu*  pros  and 
cons  of  each  locality  weiv  dis<nsscd  in  his  let- 
ters, and  while  as  a  thovonjih  liriton  he  could 
see  no  justice  or  reason  in  allowing;  any  of  the 
assumptions  which    he  felt    sure  the    United 
States  would  nu\ke,  he  evidently  feared  that 
his  j-'overnnient  would  yield  until  the  British 
were  crowded  from  that  jiart  of  the  country. 
But   Mcl)<uiall.    from    his    i)oint   of    view,    re- 
moved fnnn  any  of  the  reverses  of  the  war, 
failed  to  rcijli/.e    that  the    I'nited  States  had 
(■oiKiiicml  tlie  terms   of  the  treaty,    and  so  he 
protested  in  stronj>'  terms  that  the  noble  nation 
whose  humble  servant  he  was,  should  not  sur- 
render their  honor  to  the  i>usillanim(ms  Ameri- 
cans, and  thus,    while    renderinj;-    themselves 
desjiicable  in  the  minds  of  the  Indians,  lose  all 
hold  ujton   the   }>reat  northwest.     In    the  light 
of  liistory,  his  fears  and  ju-edi'  tions  have  al- 
most the  t(me  and  force  of  a  realized  prophecy. 


32 


British   Ocvuimtion 


About    the   middle   of   June,    Capl.    V;\\m\ 
Royal  Knsineci's,    and    Cii\)\.    Collier.    Koyal 
Navy,  having    arrived  at  :Mackinaw    for  that 
purpose,  the  three  officers  set  about  determin- 
ing the  site  for  the  future  post.     They  cruised 
about  among  the  islands  at  the  north  end  of 
Lake  Huron,  and  on    the  24th.  McDonall    re- 
ported that  the  location  had  been  agreed  upon. 
He  described  its  advantjiges,  but  gives,  in  his 
letter,  no  name  for  the  island  to  which  he  was 
to  remove.     However,  in  a  speech  he  sent  a 
few  days  later  to  the  Indians  in  the  region  of 
the  Mississi]tpi,  he  said:  "I  invite  you  once  a 
year  to  the  King  your  great  Father's  new  fort 
at  Pontaf/anip!/:'     This  then,  was  the  indian 
name  for  the  island;  but  it  doi's  not  appear  in 
any  of  the  letters  sent  to  head(iuarters.     His 
first  dispatch  after  arriving  at  the  island  was 
dated  simply  "Alanitoulin  Island,"  while  the 
next    and   all    subsequent   ones    were   dated 
"Drummond    Island."     We  may    well  believe 
that  this  name  for  the  island  was  selected  by 
the  officers  who  made  choice  of  it  for  a  military 
post,  in  honor  of  the  then  ''Lieutenant  Gover- 


P 


TORO;n'0 
CEKlR«L 


Hislotv 


t 


H 
a 
o 

u. 

UJ 

X 
I- 

S 

o 


IT 

o 

o: 
< 

X 

UJ 

I 


*p 


of   Dnniimoiul  Island. 


35 


nor  and  Coniniandci'  <.f  the  Forces  in  Canada,' 
^^ir  Gordon  Drnminond. 


« 
*     * 


In  his  dispatch  aniKMincin*--  tlie  location  of 
tlie  new  post,  McDonall  said:  "The  situation 
combines  several  important  advantajres,  viz., 
an  admirable  harbor,  proximity  to  the  Indians, 
and  will  enable  us  also  to  command  the  pas- 
sage of  the  Detour,  },nvin}i  our  vessels  the 
double  advantage  (►f  a  good  anchorage  in  that 
strait,  in  addition  to  a  fine  harbor  adjoining. 
The  ground  fixed  upon  for  the  new  post  and 
which  was  best  calculated  for  the  harbor  is 
very  rocky  and  will  be  diftinilt  to  work." 


Near  the  southwesterly  point  of  Drummoud 
island,  as  already  described,  a  beautiful  bay 
studded  with  islands  pierces  the  land  from 
southwest  towards  northeast,  and  is  divided 


1 


36 


/>/-/7i.s//    Orriiixitioii 


from  the  Detour  strait  by  a  hifjli  rujjficd  ridge 
of  liincstoiK'  rock,  which  averages  a  little  less 
tlian  a  mile  in  width.  On  the  east  side  of  this 
ridge  and  fronting  on  the  bay  in  which  a  large 
fleet  might  ride  at  saf<'  anchorage,  was  the  site 
chosen  for  the  post.  liy  means  of  artillery  ad- 
vantageously ]»laced  on  the  other  side  of  the 
ridge,  it  was  expected  to  command  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  strait  on  the  west,  and  thus  be  able 
to  control  the  commerce  between  the  lower 
lakes  and  Lake  Sujierior.  The  site  fixed  upon 
tor  the  new  ]»ost,  and  tlie  fort  which  the  officers 
did  not  doubt  would  be  built,  was  on  land 
afterwards  descrilted  by  the  United  States  land 
survey  as  Section  1,  Townshij)  41  north,  of 
Kange  4  east;  a  selection  which  for  military 
purposes  Avas  well  nigh  useless,  but  as  a  ren- 
de/.vous  from  which  to  retain  influence  over 
the  Indians,  and  as  a  spot  surpassingly  beauti- 
ful, was  admirably  cliosen. 


4 


? 


i 


a 

z 
z> 
o 
a 
O 

ul 

a 
< 

< 

a. 

Ul 

I 
H 


4 


-I 


ai 


of   Dntmmniul   LHlaiul. 


39 


1 


t 


Oil  Cjijtt.  I'jivnc,  Ko.val  Knjiiix'crs.  dovolvod 
the  duty  of  iiiakiii<>-  i-ciidy  for  tlic  occnjKUicy  of 
tlu>  place,  and  with  the  limited  means  at  his 
command  he  entered  up<m  the  task  of  clearing 
off  the  timber,  gradin}*'  the  surface,  and  erect- 
ing- the  buildings  necessary  for  the  use  of  the 
garrison.  J  Jut  the  commandanrs  plan  for  the 
l)(/st  contemjdated  more  than  the  consti'uction 
of  a  foilitication;  there  Avas  to  be  a  trading 
post  of  impoi'tance,  and  as  a  necessary  adjunct 
thereto,  a  l<»\vu  of  reasonable  dimensions.  In 
conformity  with  this  ]»lau,  as  rajtidly  as  the 
labor  (d'  clearing  the  ground  jtermitted.  ('ai)t. 
Payne  laid  oul  (he  lines  of  the  fort,  near  which 
he  nuu-ked  an  amj)le  ]>arade  ground, and  staked 
oul  the  future  town.  This,  on  the  plat  sent  to 
headipiarters  for  approval,  Wiis  named  "Col- 
lier," and  had  its  streets,  jiark  and  fair  sized 
lots.  The  dimeusio!is  of  the  h»ts  intended  for 
residence  ]»urp()s;'s  were  unifoi)iily  fifty  by  one 
hundred  and  tift  v  feet. 


Hita 


40 


British    Occupation 


III. 


It  was  the  ISth  of  July  Avlieii  the  British  }?ar- 
rison  finally  took  its  (le])ai'tui'e  fi-oiii  Macki- 
naw, and  sailed  away  to  a  new  rendezvous. 
The  date  for  their  leaving  had  been  set  for  July 
1st,  and  the  United  States  troops  who  were  to 
occupy  the  place,  arrived  on  that  date;  but  the 
J?ritish  had  made  so  little  progress  in  the  re- 
moval of  their  stor(\s,  and  were  so  scantily  pro- 
vided wi(h  transi)orl  that  they  begged  for  fif- 
teen days  more  in  which  to  get  themselves 
away.  Col.  Butler  did  not  wish  to  be  disoblig- 
ing, and  having  agreed  to  the  delay  asked  for, 
encam])ed  his  troops  on  the  low  ground  south 
of  the  f<»rt  and  awaited  the  convenience  oi  the 
JJritisii  commandant.  The  boats  to  be  had 
were  small,  and  uiade  but  slow  progress  in 
theii-  sailing,  and  as  there  was  no  wharf  at 
Drummond,  the  unloading  was  accompanied 
with  serious  hindrance.  When  the  IHth  of  the 
month  arrived,  so  much  yet  remained  to  be 
moved  tliat  a  further    post]>onement  of  three 


I 


I 


I 


of  Drummaiul   Island, 


41 


days  w.'is  Rrantt'd.  at  which  time  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  were  again  unt'nrled  from  llie  HagstaiV 
at  the  fort,  before  the  departing  lUitisli  had 
reached  their  boats  at  the  dock. 

* 
«-     * 


The  force  whicli  Lt.  Col.  McDonall  had 
under  his  command,  consisted  of  one  company 
of  the  81st,  and  two  companies  of  the  Royal 
Newfoundland  regiments.  The  term  of  enlist- 
ment of  the  last  two  companies  had  already 
expired,  and  they  were  relieved  and  sent  home 
late  in  the  autumn.  To  the  number  of  those 
under  arms  are  to  be  added  about  twenty-five 
men  in  the  employ  of  the  Indian  departmeni:, 
together  with  a  large  number  of  families  be- 
longing to  the  soldiers,  and  the  numerous  at- 
taches of  the  Northwest  trading  comitan.y. 
\Vhile  no  accurate  return  has  been  left  of  the 
nund)er  of  people  who  on  that  July  day,  1815, 
found  themselves  in  the  wilderness  of  Drnm- 
mond  island  engagcMl  in  the  task  of  i)roviding 
themselves  shelter,  u  careful  estimate  from  the 
6 


I 


42 


British    Occupation 


(lata  at  hand  ])lac('s  tlic  nuiiibci'  at  Ix'twcen 
tlireo  liundix'd  and  lit'ty  and  four  hundred.  t'X- 
clusive  of  the  indians,  who  in  large  numbers 
were  proini)t  to  accompany  them,  in  order  to 
share  in  their  food  supi>lies. 


For  the  task  of  buildinp;  a  new  town  and  the 
necessary  public  structures,  the  garrison  seems 
to  have  been  unequal;  they  lacked  the  ingenu- 
ity and  ability  necessary  to  clear  away  the 
timber  with  readiness,  and  to  make  use  of  the 
material  at  hand  for  the  erection  of  the  needed 
buildings.  The  commandant  began  at  once  a 
c*om]>laint  of  the  inefficiency  of  his  men  for  the 
labor  at  which  he  was  com]>elh'd  to  em])loy 
them,  and  chimoi'ed  for  some  companies  of 
trained  artisans  to  be  sent  in  lieu  of  those  he 
had.  It  seems  more  than  probable  that  the 
two  comj>anies  of  the  Newfouiidhind  regiment 
Avhose  term  of  enlistment  had  closed  with  the 
war,  and  who  were  anxious  to  be  sent  home, 
failed  to  exhibit  any  special  energy  in  the  pio- 


of   Dniiiiinnnd   Island. 


43 


neor  labor  of  folliii};  trrcs,  I'ootiii}''  out  stnuips 
and  hewing  timbt'i*  for  \o^  lionscs  wliicli  would 
only  benefit  those  who  should  take  theii' 
])laces.  The  first  attention  was  necessarily 
given  to  the  nmtter  of  barracks  for  the  soldiers 
and  shelter  for  the  people  and  the  stores  cui 
hand,  and  there  was  no  opportunity  to  do  more 
in  Ihe  matter  of  fortification  than  to  make 
plans  relative  thereto.  Rut  there  was  another 
reason  for  the  delay  in  the  building  of  the 
promised  fort — the  uncertainty  whether  the 
island  they  had  chosen  would  be  awarded  by 
the  commissioners  under  the  treaty,  to  the 
British  King.  So  serious  was  the  doubt  on  this 
subject  in  the  nund  of  the  liome  goveruuu'Ut, 
that  under  date  of  October  l(>,  of  that  year. 
Earl  liathurst  wrote  from  Downing  street, 
directing  that  no  steps  be  taken  t(»\vard  the 
construction  of  fortifications  on  Drummond 
island  until  the  conmiissioners  sIkmiIcI  make 
their  report. 

* 

»     » 


u 


British   Occupation 


Lacking  everything  in  the  way  of  building 
material  which  S(  ned  to  him  i-equisite  to  the 
pm'])ose,McI)onal,  |.i'oposed  to  hischief  in  com- 
mand that  the  buildings  on  St.  Joseph  island, 
belonging  to  the  Northwest  company,  be  pur- 
chased, taken  down  and  re-erected  at  the  new 
jtost. 

\Nhen,  in  1S12,  war  having  been  declared  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  a 
British  express  was  sent  to  the  northwest 
posts  to  inform  them  thereof,  he  found  a  cap- 
tain and  forty  men  stationed  on  St.  Joseph 
island,  together  Avith  the  employ(:is  and  retain- 
ers of  the  trading  comiiauies;  and  it  was  from 
there  that  the  successful  raid  which  resulted 
in  the  capture  of  :Mackinaw  by  the  simple  de- 
mand to  surrender,  was  organized  and  started. 

Wlum  the  British  left  IMackinaw  island  in 
17!M),  they  removed  to  St.  Joseph  island  in  St. 
Mary's  river,  and  there  established  a  small 
post.  As  Iha)  location  had  no  advantages  from 
a  military  point  of  view,  nor  indwd  from  any 
other  that  can  be  discovered,  it  is  probable 
that  the  choice  of  location  was  made  by  tl>e  fur 
com]»anies,  prompted  by  the  desire  to  be  suf- 


- 


■ 


^ 


4 


1 


J 


Z 
O 


CO 
< 

a. 
O 

a. 

> 
a 

< 

CO 

Z 

o 


CO 

oe 
u 

I- 
a 

< 

a 

S) 

IX 
UJ 

o 


II ; 


r. 


of  Jhumiiumtl   Island. 


47 


flciently  near  to  Mackinaw  to  retain  their  trad- 
ing relations  witli  the  inilians  wiio  passed 
tlirous'li  tlie  Mackinaw  straits  or  came  from 
Lake  Sujtei'ior.  Tliere  the  military  defenses 
were  slight.  A  "blockhouse,''  surrounded  with 
a  picketing,  a  magazine  and  a  commandant's 
house,  seem  to  have  been  all  the  government 
provided  for  itself;  but  the  fur  com])anies  had 
for  their  uses  some  large  and  well  built  strui.-- 
tures.  The  "blockhouse"  was  ])robably  nothing 
nun-e  than  a  large  log  house.  Lieut.  Kobert 
Cowell,  commanding  there  in  1801,  said  that  it 
contained  but  three  rooms,  which  did  not  fur- 
nish sufficient  accommodations  for  the  officers. 
However,  he  speaks  in  his  letter  of  the  "fort 
and  its  enclosures."  The  nuigazine,  which  was 
a  stone  structure,  remained  in  good  repair  uj* 
to  and  during  all  the  time  of  the  occupation  of 
Drummond  island,  and  Avas  used  as  the  storing 
place  for  the  ammunition  of  that  post.  ]?ut 
the  buildings  belonging  to  the  trading  com- 
panies were  extensive  in  size  and  number,  and 
were  not  a  little  tem]»ting  to  the  garrison 
wliich  was  in  need  of  c(unfortable  slielter.  The 
lu'gotiations  for  the  purchase  rt'sulled  only  in 


48 


British   Occitpaiion 


securing  some  of  the  larger  oues  for  the  use  of 
the  post,  and  the  officers  were  obliged  to  buy 
the  dwelling  houses  on  their  individual  ac- 
count. The  commandant  and  a  portion  of  the 
officers  were  thus  able  to  house  tliemselves 
comfortably  before  the  winter  set  in,  and  the 
others  followed  their  example  the  ensuing 
season. 


*     « 


^ 


In  order  that  the  Indians  might  still  be  im- 
pressed with  an  overpowering  sense  of  the 
greatness  of  the  British,  notwithstanding  their 
reverses  and  enforced  relinquishment  of  the 
island  of  INIackinaw,  Col.  McDonall  conceived 
that  an  extensive  system  of  fortifications  for 
ott'cnse  and  defense  was  necessai'y.  When  leav- 
ing .Miickinaw,  he  had  told  the  Indians  that  at 
the  place  he  was  going  there  would  be  a  larger 
fort  and  bigger  guns  than  those  he  was  leav- 
ing, and  that  those  who  remained  true  to  their 
allegiance  to  the  King  should  be  able  to  look 
with  disdain  upon  those  who  remained  with  the 
Americans.    The  place  selected,  on  Drummond 


of  Dnmniiontl   Inhnid. 


49 


island,  was  choson  for  its  supposed  adaptabil- 
ity  to  tlio  i)ni'p<)si's  of  fortitioation ;  and  tlio  tirst 
•nnonji:  liis  thouj^lits,  on  his  arrival  there,  was 
how  to  carry  out  his  plans  in  that  direction. 


Just  what  Col.  McDonall's  plans  for  fortifi- 
cation were,  or  how  extensive  they  were,  it  is 
not  now  possible  to  determine,  since  he  seems 
to  have  withheld  the  details  of  his  dream  of 
Sreatness  from  his  superiors,  p;iving  only  here 
and  there  a  hint  as  to  the  possibilities  and  pro- 
pri(4y  of  niakinj?  a  veritable  stronghold  of  the 
rocky  neck  of  the  island  which  he  had  chosen 
on  behalf  of  his  Kin}?,  and  was  holding-  in  his 
name.    Rut   from   the   scattered    hints   to    be 
found  in  his  letters,  as  well  as  the  sketches 
and  memoranda  from  the  engineer  department, 
and  the  ruins  of  what  constituted  the  defenses 
which  were  actually  constructed,  we  may  with 
reason   conchuh'  as   to   the   plans   which   the 
doughty  colonel  harbored  in  his  mind,  and  as 

7 


il 


!ft 


50 


Jiritlxh    O.TKixition 


fill-  !is  lie  wiis  iiblc.    i»ut  into  taupbh'   tiiiilHT 
jind  sloiic. 


«     » 


The  first  (Iciiiiiiul  in  tlu'  inl crest  of  siifcty 
wliii'li  ln'  tried  to  meet.  Wiis  sonietliiiifj;  in  the 
AVJiy  of  defense  from  ontside  atlju-ks;  iind  for 
lliis  Col.  M<I)onjill    conceived  tliat    a    "block- 
honse"  wonld  meet  tlie  necessary  reiiuireinent. 
IJefore  tlie  ccminiand  had  itself  housed  for  the 
ai»i»roachin}i-   wint<'r,  the    timber   for  the  pro- 
]»osed  structure  had  been  cut.  hewn  and  jiotten 
on  the  firound  where  it  was  to  be  erected.  This 
was  on  the  i»<»int  of  a  hill  lyin^'  due  north  from 
the  barracks,    some  eighty    rods,    and    which 
seemed  to    offer  more    than    ordinary  induce- 
ments for  fortification.    The  ed^es  around  the 
soul  hern  jioint  of  this  hill  were  orij-inally  steep, 
and  were  made  more  so  by  dinjiinji",  so  as  (o  pre- 
sent a  sharp  declivity  about  lifteen  feet  hi^h, 
up  Avhich  an  attackinj;'  party  wo\ild  have  ditti- 
culty  in  climbiiifi.     On  the  toj»  of  this  hill,  it 
was    proposed    to    construct    the    wished    for 
blockhouse.     J5ut  instead  of  i>ermissi(m  to  use 


of    l>riiiniiioii(l    IhUiiuI. 


5L 


I  lie  i»nl)lic  iiKUM'.vs  for  tlic  biiildinn;  ,,f  this  most 
ill-dent l,v    i'<*pn's«'ii(('(l    ikmchsjiiv  iiicjiiis  of  de- 
fense, the  order  cjinie  from  liomhm  to  expend 
absolutely  nolliiiiy  in  tlie  eonstriieHon  of  mili- 
tary works  njxMi  the  island  nntil  (he  d<'eisi(m  of 
the  (jiiestion  as  to  the  Ixmndarv  was  had,  and 
the  Islaiwi  was  assiire<l  as  bel<Mij,'injf  to  theKinj^'. 
Notwitlistandinjj:     this     jiosilive     proiiibition, 
which    was    accoiiijtanietl    with    the    reasons 
theii'for,  at  frecpient  intervals  up  to  the  time 
of  the  announcement  of  the  boundary  award, 
the  authorities  at  Quebec  were  iir^fed  in  lan- 
j-iiajic  stronjicr  than  mo«lern  militarv  etiquette 
would  all<)w,  to  consent  to  the  bu'.ldinj;'  of  this 
blockhouse.    The  authority  was  never  jiiven. 


* 
*     ♦ 


It  may  not  be  difticiilt  to  understand  that  a 
lack  of  authority  for  the  expenditure  <>f  money, 
may  mean  simply  the  char^inji  of  the  expendi- 
ture to  some  other  account.  Before  the  order 
not  to  fortify  Fort  Collier  arrived,  the  enj;ineer 
at  the  post  had  exjiended  nearly  three  hundred 


i:  f 


If: 


52 


British   Occupation 


l)ouii(ls  in  fjcttiiifr  ready  for  the  l)lo('kliouso. 
lie  liiul  Jiln^iuly  {iradcd  the  hill  to  suit  his 
lihms,  and  he  had  crcctod  on  the  top  an  earth- 
work (a  heavy  breastwork  of  stone)  fifty  fei^t 
square  on  Ihe  inside,  with  the  necessary  j»lat- 
f(n'ni8  for  the  handling  of  the  heavy  artillery. 
Ueing-  cut  off  from  his  ])roje('ted  blockhouse 
which  was  intended  to  be  formidable  in  size, 
and  to  serve  the  double  jnirpose  of  barracks 
and  fort,  a  small  blockhouse,  twelve  feet 
s(|uai'e  at  its  base,  and  i»res\imably  sixteen 
feet  square  in  its  ujtper  story,  was  built  a  short 
distance  north  of  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
o]»en  earth-work,  which  miji'ht  siM-ve  as  a  j;\iar<l 
houst'  for  the  detail  in  charge  of  the  artillery, 
and  from  which  they  might  tire  upon  maraud- 
ers with  musketry  without  exposing  theni- 
selves  to  danger. 

The  earth-work,  and  the  ruins  of  the  little 
blockhouse  may  yet  be  seen  as  silent  witness<'S 
of  the  ardor  of  the  oltlcers  who  built  them,  as 
well  as  of  their  constant  fear  of  the  hordes  of 
Indians  which  visited  them  every  year  clamor- 
ing for  gifts,  and  seeming  to  be  ready  to  take 


li 


rm 


m 


ti 


o 

z 
o 

s 

a 
a 


o 
a. 


O 

I 

<n 

^ 

O 

< 

a; 

< 

u. 
O 

ft) 

z 

< 
s 

(E. 


I 


t 


of   DniDiinoiKl   Island. 


55 


for  t)\(-iiis<'lvos  wliatev(M'  was  dt'iiitnl  to  thoir 
requ(\st. 


lint  bovond  evory  other  ooiiBiderjition,  Col. 
^rcDoiiiill  i'('<>i)r<l(Ml  tlic  coinniiuul  of  tlio  Detour 
liiissji«>('  by  tlic  Kiii}«'s  iirlillcry  as  of  the  very 
liiHliest  iiMi»ortanee.  He  was  not  at  all  at  peace 
with  the  United  States,  and  evid«^ntly  exitected 
tliat  the  treaty  whicli  liad  been  nuuh'  by  tlie 
Kinj>-  wonid  be  of  short  life.  He  seemed  io 
think  that  the  navy  of  the  Tnited  States  would 
sail  uji  the  lakes  and  attenii»t  the  (•ai>ture  of 
the  points  north  of  Drninmond.  in  violation  of 
the  treaty  and  the  e(nnity  of  nations.  The  re- 
ports to  head(iuarters  show  that  the  rujij>-ed 
contour  of  the  point  which  had  be<'n  chosen  by 
]\IcI)(MjaII  and  his  broth;'r  ollicers,  had  been 
selected  for  tin'  reason  that  there,  nun'e  advan- 
taj;eously  than  elsewhere,  the  Kinji's  cannon 
might  be  so  placed  as  to  comi»el  obedience  to 
the  demands  of  the  Kinj-'s  othc<'is.  He  seems 
to  have  been  oblivions  to  the  fact  tlnit  the  pas- 
sage around  the  eastern  end  of  the  island  was 


56 


]iriti}i1i    Ofciipation 


equally  Rood  and  easy  to  make,  and  that  lie 
mifi'ht  tlnindcr  fortli  his  wrath  at  his  pleasure 
from  the  heif^hts  of  the  i>oint  he  had  set  him- 
self down  upon,  while  the  wily  Yankee  could 
lau}ih  him  to  scorn  as  his  }>ood  boat  danced 
ovei'  the  waters  of  the  eastern  jtassage. 

A  little  more  tlian  half  a  mile  to  the  north- 
west of  the  jiarrison  town,  rises  a  hill,  steep, 
and  of  contour  to  win  the  heart  of  him  who 
\v(>uld  plant  a  canncm  to  be  used  at  lonj;  range. 
Its  side  abuts  on  the  western  shore  of  the 
island,  and  its  summit  stands  one  hundred  and 
s(^venty-iive  feet  above  the  water.  From  the 
clearing*  made  by  the  liritish,  for  the  fort 
which  they  hoped  there  to  ere<'t,  (me  of  the 
finest  views  in  all  the  lake  country  may  be  had. 
Sitting  at  the  door  of  a  cottage  there  i)laci'd  by 
a  homesteader  in  se.arch  of  the  romantic,  on 
any  evening  dtiriiig  the  season  (►f  navigation, 
one  may  see  five  nuiriner's  beacons  casting 
their  kindly  light  over  the  waters  to  guide  hiiu 
on  his  way, — the  Spectacle  Keef,  Detour  Point. 
Frying l*an  island,  and  Pipe  island  lighthouses, 
and  one  of  the  river  range   lights;  one  Hash 


" 


i 


of  Drummond  Island. 


57 


■ 


light  (iT(l  and  white),  two  wliito  lijilits  and  two 
red  lights. 

It  was  from  this  very  spot  that  Col.  McDon- 
all  hoped  to  sound  the  lion's  growl  at  will,  and 
from  there  send  forth  the  note  of  defiance  from 
the  deep  throated  sunset  gun.  His  hopes  were 
not  realized;  the  fort  was  never  built.  Under 
the  regime  of  his  successors,  the  clearing  he 
had  made  for  the  erection  of  a  lofty  fortress 
w^as  turned  to  the  uses  of  agriculture,  and  the 
ten-acre  field,  enclosed  by  a  rail  fence  which 
still  remains  as  a  relic  of  the  departed  Britons, 
yielded  jiotatoes  for  tlie  sustenance  of  the 
King's  soldiers. 


' 


But  a  fort  situated  at  such  an  altitude  that 
the  guns  of  a  ship  could  not  hojie  to  reach  it  so 
as  to  cause  any  disturbance  to  those  behind  its 
ramparts,  was  not  enough  to  satisfy  the  de- 
mands of  the  time  and  place;  a  water  battery 
seemed  necessary  to  ensure  to  the  Britisli  com- 
plete control  of  the  strait.  On  the  soiithern 
arm  of   the   Portage   bay,    was   found   a  spot 

8 


ff-r.  1 


58 


British    Occupation 


suited  to  this  purpose.  Trotectcd  by  broad 
shoals  of  rock  in  front.  aji,ainst  even  the  ar- 
tacks  from  small  boat.i,  it  seemed  a  place 
where  a  battery  of  thirty-two  pounders  might 
command  respect.  Whetlun*  any  of  the  work 
necessary  for  the  handlinji'  of  the  guns  at  that 
point  was  ever  done  is  now  uncertain;  but  the 
road  ovei'  which  the  heavy  jafuns  could  b.' 
hauled  to  the  spot  was  so  thoroughly  made  as 
that  today  it  might  be  used  for  a  similar  pur- 
pose. 


U  I 


In  the  autumn  of  that  year — ISl;") — the  out- 
look for  the  future  of  his  new  town  had  as- 
suiiM'd,  in  <'orrespondence  with  the  ruddy  glow 
of  the  fo:'''st  foliage,  such  roseate  hues,  that 
McDonall  turned  his  thought  to  the  purchase 
for  and  on  behalf  of  his  royal  nuister,  of  the 
entire  island  from  the  Indian  claiuuuits.  He 
stated  in  a  lettei-  to  the  military  secretary  of 
the  department  that  "the  i>riiiciiKil  right  and 
title  to  this  island  is  vested  in  a  ('hii>pewa 
chief  who  usually  resi<les  at  Sagana  bay,  be- 


I  V 


of    DriiiiinioiHl    Txhnid. 


59 


twefii  this  and  Detroit,  and  some  of  his  rela- 
tions.'' Indian  Ajjent  John  Askin  reported 
that  tlie  owner  was  "Xebawgnaine,  Cliipitewa 
chief,  who  was  wonnded  in  tlie  arm  at  Proc- 
tor's defeat."  I'nder  McDonall's  direction,  the 
indian  a}>'ent  called  thos;'  who  had  claim  to 
the  island  toj;ether,  and  the  two  enthusiastic 
officers  were  able  to  formulate  with  the  indian 
chiefs  a  conditional  aj!,reement  that  in  case  th*} 
determinati<ui  of  the  boundary  line  was  favor- 
able to  continued  liritish  occupation,  the 
island  should  be  rejiularlv  ]>urchased  and  ]>aid 
for.  To  bind  the  barj;ain  which  was  simply 
one  of  {>()od  faith  for  future  contin};ent  fulflll- 
nient,  the  Indians  were  f;iven  "the  frc^'dom  of 
the  city,  and  a  kej«  of  rum"  with,  which  to  as- 
suaffe  their  ji'rief  over  the  prosj)ective  loss  of 
their  projierty.  A  kej--  of  rum,  as  ])ut  u]»  for  a 
present  to  Indians,  contained  three  f;allous. 
Each  succeedinji'  year,  when  Nebaw}»naine  y'n- 
ited  the  post,  as  indeed  he  did  not  fail  to  do,  he 
was  treated  with  the  most  marked  attention, 
lavish  ]>resents  and  the  unfailinj;'  kej;'  of  rum  to 
lijihten  the  toils  of  iiis  homeward  journey,  it 
appears  (hat    the   barj;ain    was  held   to   be  in 


60 


British    OcvuiHifion 


fovve  as  lone:  as  the  IJritish  were  able  to  remain 


on  the  mneh  coveted  island. 


* 
*     » 


The  commandant  was  delighted  to  report  the 
arrival  on  the  4th  of  October  of  a  company  of 
sajnters  and  miners,  for  which  he  had  nrgently 
asked,  and  his  hopes  for  the  future  of  the  post 
were  correspondingly  raised.  He  also  reported 
that  owing  to  the  jiurchase  of  houses  from  St. 
Joseph  island,  by  the  officers  of  his  command, 
the  former  settlement  there  could  then  be 
scarcely  traced.  This  statement  must  have 
been  nuide  under  the  inspiration  of  his  deter- 
mined enthusiasm  over  the  bright  ])rospect  for 
the  new  town,  since  in  fact  a  number  of  those 
houses  were  not  removed  until  Hie  following 
spring,  and  cpiite  a  number  of  the  buildings 
were  never  removed  at  all,  but  continued  in 
use  as  late,  at  least,  as  the  summer  of  1820.  Ho 
also  boasted  that  as  a  result  of  the  removal  of 
houses  ready  for  i)utting  together  the  new 
town  **is  rapidly  rising  into  notice.    Fourteen 


A 


of  Dniuinioml   Tshnuh 


61 


lots  facinj;  the  harbor  have  already  been 
jjranted  to  as  many  respectable  individnals,  be- 
side nearly  as  mauv  on  another  street."  A  con- 
dition  which  he  appended  to  each  grant  of  a 
lot,  provided  that  "the  houses  are  to  be  built 
the  ensuing  year,  uniform  (in  front  only),  not 
less  tlian  forty  foot  front  and  twelve  high,  well 
finished  and  in  a  manner  that  will  admit  of 
their  being  wliitewijslied  or  painted."  He  had 
hopes  that  by  this  means  "the  town  will  have 
a  tine  effect  from  the  beautiful  picturesque 
harbor,  between  which  and  the  proposed  fort 
ther<'  is  already  a  noble  ]iarade  on  which  a 
strong  brigade  might  maneuvre  upon  the 
smooth,  solid  rock."  So  sanguine  were  his 
anti(i])ations  for  the  future  of  the  place  that 
he  asked  for  himself  the  grant  of  the  lot  about 
his  house  on  the  same  conditions  as  the  others. 


* 
*     * 

The  si»riiig  of  ISK;  found  the  garrison  the 
victims  (►f  a  severe  type  of  sea  scurvy,  which 
resulted  in  Ihe  loss  of  a  large  number  of  men. 


^ 


62 


Jiiittsh   OccKinitloii 


The  two  coinpiinics  of  tho  :?7th  ivfjimcnt,  which 
had  fonucily  seivcd  in  India,  had  come  thitlier 
from  Anihei'stbui'}»:  the  antnnin  before,  worn 
ont  with  the  fever  and  aj>ne  enjicndered  in  the 
low  country  ahni}"-  the  h)wer  Detroit  river,  and 
theii-  debilitated  condition  made  ihem  easy  vic- 
tims of  tlie  exclusive  salt  diet  to  which  they 
were  confined.  There  seems  to  have  been  an 
entire  lack  of  ready  resource  on  the  part  of  all 
concerned,  for  they  were  able  durin}"'  the  win- 
ter, to  secure  but  few  fish  in  a  locality  where 
they  are  known  to  plentifully  abound,  and 
there  is  no  evidence  of  any  attem]»t  to  secure 
wild  ^ame,  althoujih  there  was  a  larp'  number 
of  Indians  and  Canadians  (presumably  half- 
breeds)  at  the  post  the  entire  winter,  who 
ou}i,ht  to  have  been  exercising;  tiieir  skill  in  jiro- 
vidinji-  a  supply  of  the  luscious  wild  meats  for 
which  that  rejiion  has  so  lonj^-  been  famous. 
Early  in  June  the  strenj;th  of  the  jiarrison  was 
decreased  by  sendin}-'  away  the  company  of  tht' 
Slst.  and  one  company  of  the  87th  re}»iments, 
leavinji'  only  a  decimated  com]»any  of  the  87th, 
and  a  i)art  of  an  artillery  comjiany.  The  only 
labor  reported  as  haviufi,'  been  done  that  seiisoii 


ii 


of  DruDDiiond   Island. 


63 


Avas  the  natlu'rinji'  tof^ctlicr  the  licavv  timber 
Avhicli  had  been  }»otteii  out  the  ju'evious  season 
for  a  blockhouse,  and  i)ilin}»'  it  up  to  ensure  its 
preservation  from  decay. 


Durinj?  the  first  year  on  the  island,  ^McDonall 
had  ])urchased  a  good  frame  house  from  the 
Northwest  tomi)any,  on  St.  Joseph  island,  had 
taken  it  down,  transferi-ed  it  to  his  new  town 
and  i-e-erected  it  for  liis  own  use  and  at  his  own 
expense.  Findinjj'  that  his  dreamsfor  the  future 
were  not  socm  to  be  realized,  he  negotiated  a 
sale  of  his  house  to  the  governmeiit,  and  asked 
to  be  relieved  from  the  command  at  that  point. 
On  June  LMith,  Lt.  (V)l.  Maule  arrived  at  the 
]>ost,  and  to  him  McDonall  resifjned  his  com- 
mand, and  left  for  Kinj^ston  and  (Quebec.  A 
little  later  he  returned  to  England,  a  broken 
hearted  man.  During  his  stay  at  Mackinaw  Ik; 
had  studiously  taught  the  Indians  that  Eng- 
land was  a  mighty  nation,  wholly  invincible  in 
war,   and    that    the    United    States    were  not 


k 


64 


Britlnh    OcciiiKition 


m 


woi-tliy  the  notice  of  liif>h  iniiul:'*!  |>('<»i)h'. 
When  force'  1o  retire  to  Diuniiiioiul  isliiiul  he 
liad  told  tlK'iii  tluit  there  wouhl  be  si  greater 
fort  and  heavier  guns  ther^lhan  at  Mackinaw, 
and  tlio  action  of  his  }>-overnnient  in  yieulin}^ 
np  those  inijiortant  i)hices.  or  even  in  dehiyin.;^ 
to  assert  tlieii-  siipei-iority  and  <h'l;'rniination 
to  remain  in  tliat  ref^ion,  seemed  to  liini  to  he  ;i 
direct  l)h>w  at  liis  diaracter  as  a  j'ciiih'nian  of 
lionor.  Jle  carri;'d  tlie  stinji'  of  this  Icclinj;-  to 
Ins  f^ravc?. 

* 


The  year  1817  witnessed  no  ciian};('  in  the 
atfairs  of  the  ishnm.  The  enj-ineei*  dei>artnient 
s;'nt  forward  fresli  ]>hinsfoi'  forlitication  which 
were  promjttly  i-ejected  on  the  j-round  tliat  the 
tith^  to  the  island  was  not  yet  secure.  Durinu; 
the  y<>ar  iSlS,  Lt.  ('(d.  Manle  was  relieved  by 
Thomas  Howard  .Major  7(llh  K;'jiiment.  and  he 
by  .lames  Winnell.  Major  <>Sth  lA^ht  Infantry. 
The  work  of  the  year  consisted  of  a  thorouj«li 
rejtair  of  the  buildinj;s.  The  year  isr,>  passed 
with  nolhinji'  iu  distnrb  tlie  nionotonv  of  the 


# 


of    l>ruiin)ioml   InJumJ. 


65 


record.  On  the  251  li  of  .Innc,  ISL'O,  n  forest  liiv 
swj'pt  over  the  isliiinl,  jiimI  a  slnni};-  j^jilc  drove 
llic  fliinics  Jowjird  I  lie  lowii.  \\\  tlie  ctlorls  of 
llic  j-jii-risoii,  assisted  by  about  four  linndred 
iiidiaiis  who  were  visiliii}>'  the  post  at  the  time, 
no  daniajic  was  incurred  except  the  destruction 
of  the  square  timber  wliicli  liad  been  prepared 
for  th<'  blockhouse. 


»     » 


Tlie  commissary  department  had  bi'en  stirn-d 
to  action  by  the  h)ss  of  life  from  scui-vy  durin^f 
thesprin}-'  <)f  ISKI,  and  «'acli  sumnu'r  thereafter 
a  number  of  beef  catth'  were  sliipp(«d  from  Am- 
iierstburji'  t(>  this  post.  Tliere  was  e.vceUent 
pasturaj^c  on  St.  Josepli  island,  but  none  on 
Drummond,  and  the  catth'  were  sent  to  St. 
.Joseph  and  cared  for  by  the  s(|uad  whicli  kept 
j;uard  over  tiie  majiazine.  Durinj''  tlie  winter 
lliese  <-attIe  were  driven  across  the  ice  to  the 
post  to  be  shiujihtered  as  neeih-d.  On  .January 
2l',  1S21,  wliih'  tills  was  l)ein^-  done,  a  iiumbei- 
of  tlie  cattle  broke  through  the  ice,  and  ono 
was  lost. 


66 


liritish   Occupation 


Major  Winuett  and  his  command  were  re- 
lieved June  10,  1822,  by  a  detachment  of  the 
Tfith  Itefriment,  INIajor  Goff  commanding.  It 
was  dui-ing  this  year  that  the  determination  of 
the  commissioners  under  the  treaty,  that 
Drummond  ishuid  did  not  belong  to  the  King 
became  known  at  the  post,  and  was  the  cause 
of  no  little  (•()rresi)ondence  and  query  as  to 
what  to  do  next.  There  Avas,  however,  no 
haste  on  the  part  of  the  British  authorities  to 
withdraw  from  United  States  territory.  The 
transfer  of  the  post  io  some  other  point  was 
discussed,  but  no  satisfactory  location  was 
lix<Hl  upon.  They  seem  to  have  regarded  the 
removal  as  a  nuitter  to  be  attended  to  at  their 
con\  enience.  ' 


* 
»     « 


As  a  meiisurc  i»r«']»aratory  to  the  evacuatiim, 
however,  in  -lune,  1S2:?.  a  lH>ard  of  otliccrs  made 
an  inventory  of  tlie  government  proi)erty  on 
Ihe  island  and  appraised  the  value  of  the  eight- 
een buildings  used  for  the  purposes  of  the  gar- 
rison.    Thev  found  the  total  value  of  the  struc- 


f 


II 


f 


of   Dvuinmond   Island. 


67 


tmvs  on  Di'iinimoiKl  island  to  be  twelve  hun- 
dred and  seventy-three  jjounds,  Halifax  cui- 
rencj-,  and  of  those  on  St.  Joseph  island,  ninety 
pounds. 


a 


^fajor  (Jotr,  with  his  command,  was  relieved 
in  June,  18li4,  by  Lieu(.  James  J.  Gaston,  with 
a  ])art  of  a  company  of  the  70th  Regiment,  who 
remained  until  June,  1S27,  when  they  were  re- 
lieved by  Lieut.  Thomas  Carson,  with  luilf  of 
a  company  of  the  (i.Slh  Kegiment. 


4f 


From  the  time  when  it  became  known  that 
ihere  must  be  an  entire  relimpiishment  of 
Drummond  island,  the  garrison  devoted  them- 
selves to  the  one  pur|»ose  of  making  themselves 
comfortable,  and  their  routine  of  duty  as  little 
irksome  as  possible.  While  the  military  au- 
thoritit's  discussed  where  the  new  post  should 
be  located,  the  real  work  and  expense  of  the 


68 


liritish   Occiipaiion 


]»()st  AViis  for  the  beiu'tit  of  llic  indinns  who 
were  all  too  ready  to  visit  any  place  where 
they  would  he  fed  Avithont  labor  on  their  part, 
and  where  their  jiri<'f  for  the  reverses  whieli 
had  befallen  their  liritish  friends  could  be  as- 
suaged by  eoi)ious  draughts  of  the  King's  rum. 


*     * 


During  all  their  stay  at  the  island,  the  Brit- 
ish were  untiagging  in  their  zeal  to  retain  their 
influence  with  and  control  over  the  Indians 
who  resided  in  United  States  territory.  In  tho 
treaty  they  had  agreed  to  relincinish  all  claim 
and  effort  in  that  direction.  b\it  the  fur  tra<le 
and  the  immense  ])rotits  resulting  therefrom  to 
those  who  were  in  gov<Mnment  eniploy,  over- 
came what  little  of  honor  they  possessed,  and 
specious  arguments  framed  for  the  <M-casion 
were  a  sutticient  excuse  for  enticing  Ihoso 
whom  they  had  agreed  to  relinquish,  to  still 
visit  and  trade  with  them.  The  jtost  at  Drum- 
mond  island  was  regularly  supplied  each  year 
with  a  vast  amount  of  "Indian  goods,"  which 


(► 


of   Drummo)i(l    Island. 


69 


iiiclndcd  cvcrytliiiifi,-  in  \\\v  way  of  wearinj?  ap- 
parel, jiinis,  anmiunition,  cookiii};'  uti'iisils  and 
the  inevitable  nini,  all  of  whieli  was  distrib- 
uted to  their  dusky  visitors,  or  «at  least  charged 
up  on  the  accounts  of  the  indian  department 
as  so  distributed. 

The  average  number  of  Indians  who  were 
regular  annual  visitants  at  Drummond  from 
the  territory  now  included  in  northevn  Michi- 
gan, \Vis<-onsin,  and  Minnesota,  as  shown  by 
the  returns  nuide  of  these  visitors  who  came 
with  their  wives  and  children,  was  fully  four 
(housand  live  hundi-ed.  At  each  recurring  visit 
they  were  fed  and  sup]»lied  at  the  King's  ex- 
l>ense.  Hut  between  the  military  officers  and 
the  traders,  the  Indians  were  sorely  cheated. 
On  their  arrival  they  must  needs  have  a  taste 
of  rum  for  friendship's  sake.  This  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  in  order  to  facilitate  trade. 
NN'hen  the  trading  was  ovei\  they  had  very 
little  to  show  for  il.  The  furs  they  ha«l  brought 
with  them  had  disa|>peared,  and  in  return  the}' 
had  a  supply  of  useless  but  gaudy  baubles.  The 
King's  oflicers  gave  them  presents;  the  traders 
purchased  the  presents  with  I'um.    Stripped  of 


a 


^» 


70 


British   Occupation 


their  season's  labor,    with    no    supplies  with 
which  to  carry  on  their  next  season's  hunt,  the 
traders  made   tlieni  up   an  outfit   which  they 
were  to  pay  for  with  the  peltries  they  sliould 
bring  on  their  visit   the  succeeding  year.     In 
this  way  the  traders,   by  the  aid  of  the  com- 
mandants, kept  a  perpetual   mortgage  on  the 
(ntire  catch  of  nearly  eyery  one  of  their  indiau 
de]»endants,  and    reduced    them    to    practical 
slavery.    The  King's  otticers  and  treasure  were 
actively  engaged  in  this  league  of  robbery,  and 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  officers  profited 
more  largely  than  the  traders,  since  the  trad- 
ers were  there  on  suH'erance,  and  if  the  tribute 
was  not  satisfactory,  some  excuse  would  read- 
ily be  found  for  sending  the  offender  to  (Juebec 
to   answer   for   his    misdeeds,    either   real    or 
trumped  up.     With  this  fear  constant  before 
their  eyes,  it  is   not  strange   tluit  the  traders 
were  ready  to  be  the  obedient  servants  of  their 
military  ])r<)tectors. 


« 


.. 


0 


n' 


of   rtrummond   Island. 


71 


Lt.  Col.  McDonall  had  persisted  from  the 
outset  in  disregarding  tlie  treaty  provisions 
rehitive  to  the  Indians,  wliich  as  a  niiliiary 
officer  it  was  his  duty  to  carry  out.  He  seems 
also  to  have  been  intent  on  picking  a  (luari'el 
with  the  Ignited  States,  as  represented  at 
Mackinaw.  When,  in  the  spring  of  ISUJ,  his 
men  were  dying  for  want  of  proper  food  and 
medical  supplies,  he  requested  the  loan  of  such 
articles,  from  the  commandant  at  Mackinaw, 
as  were  sorely  needed,  not  only  were  the  arti- 
cles sent  without  parley,  but  the  United  States 
surgeon  was  also  sent,  in  order  to  render  any 
possible  relief.  Notwithstanding  the  gentle- 
manly treatment  he  had  received,  he  wrote  fre- 
quent letters  comjdaining  of  the  doings  of  the 
officers  at  Mackinaw  relative  to  certain  per 
sons  resident  there  who  retained  their  alle- 
giance to  the  King,  and  also  in  regard  to  In- 
dian affairs,  sonu>  i>f  which,  at  least,  were 
couched  in  terms  none  too  polite. 


* 
*     » 


0 


T 


72 


British   Occupation 


One  of  till'  amusing  featui't's  of  the  relations 
Avitli  the  Indians  at  that  time,  was  the  readi- 
ness with  which,  in  their  search  for  rnni,  the 
noble  red  men  carried    tales  to    both  parties. 
After  a  visit  to   INfackinaw,   where   they  were 
treated    as    fjovernment    wards,     resident    in 
United  States  territory,    and  where   they  had 
told  of  the  wrong-  doing  of  those  at  Drummond, 
and  the  taunting,  ugly  speeches  they  had  heai'd 
there,  and  had  tasted  of  "a  keg  of  milk,  that 
they  might  know  how  to  sing,"  a  visit  to  Drum- 
mond   was    stealthily    nuule,    and    with    the 
strongest  protestations  of  regard  for  the  King, 
they  prevailed  upon    the  officers    to  "moisten 
their  lips  that  they  nught  tell  the  truth"  in  re- 
gard to  what  they  had  but  recently  seen  and 
heard  at  Mackinaw.     By   this  means  some  of 
the  shrewder  of  the  old  men  among  the  Indians 
wei-e  able  to  subsist  in  comjtarative  ease,  and 
enjoy  fi-eipient  debauches,  as  well,    fiut  the  re- 
sult of  this  method  of  madness  «m  the  part  of 
the  tale  bearers,  was    to    kee])  the    officers  of 
both  posts  in  a  constant  state  of  irritation  and 
])etty  alarm.    'In  i'ei)ly  to  a  letter  written  by 
Alchonall  to  Lieut.  Col.  ('haml)ers.  command- 


t 


4 


Sl 


t 


of  Dniiinitoiid  Island. 


73 


<■ 


i 


inj>-  at  Mackiiunv,  and  wliich  was  referred  to 
AVilliani  Henry  Putott",  local  agent  of  indiau 
affairs,  Mr.  Putoff  wrote  as  follows: 

"It  has  been  repeatedly  observed  *^o  nie  by 
the  Indians  tliat  you  in  coiineil  with  them  on 
Druniniond  island,  in  the  name  of  your  {govern- 
ment have  forbidden  them  to  trade  with  the 
Americans,  have  ordered  them  to  biinji-  their 
corn  to  their  British  Father,  or,  if  i)revented  by 
stress  of  weather,  to  leave  it  with  British  trad- 
ers only,  on  the  island  of  Mackinaw,  or  bury  it 
until  sprinj--;  that  you  have  sent  your  order  to 
an  Indian  trading  at  L'Arbre  Croche  for 
]Michael  Douseman,  forbidding-  him  to  trade 
for  or  deliver  his  corn  to  an  American;  that 
you  have  a  few  days  since  held  a  council  at 
wliich  barrels  of  rum  were  ojxMied  to  them, 
minute  j>uns  w<M-e  fired  and  they  were  inf()rmed 
that  the  tomahawk  would  a^ain  be  raised  early 
in  the  spring;  that  red  vvamjaim  and  tobacco 
mixed  with  vermillion  was  distributed;  and 
they  were  advised  to  be  on  the  iilerl  as  it  was 
the  intention  of  the  Americans  to  invite  them 
to  this  island  with  a  view  to  massacre  them; 
that  you  would  again  apju'ar  in  the  night  with 
II) 


74 


British   Occupation 


N 


your  bis  S""  upon  the  island  of  Mackinaw  and 
that  the  Americans  would  not  dare  to  op])ose 
you.  These  and  many  other  reports  of  a  like 
character  have  been  repeatedly  made  to  me." 

The  methods  instituted  by  McDonall  were 
faithfully  followed  by  his  successors,  as  long 
as  the  supplies  of  presents  and  food  for  so 
doin}?  were  sent  forward;  and  even  when  the 
(juantity  of  supplies  was  curtailed,  there  was 
no  diminution  of  effort  to  secure  the  regular 
visits  of  the  Indians. 


i' 


T 


i' 


of  Dntmmoud  IslamL 


16 


TV, 

The  necessity  for  removal  from  Drnmmond 
island  being  conceded,  and  the  Prince  Regent 
having  expressed  a  wish  that  a  post  should  be 
located  at  some  point  near  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  two  countries  having  equal  advan- 
tages for  communication  with  the  Indians  and 
watching  the  operations  of  the  United  States 
in  those  regions,  a  commissioner  was  sent  to 
examine  all  the  practicable  locations  and  re- 
port thereon.  His  report  set  forth  that  the  site 
of  the  Northwest  company's  buildings  at  Sault 
Ste  Marie  w^ould  cost  eighteen  hundred  pounds 
to  purchase,  but  that  in  order  to  reach  their  lo- 
cation, vessels  must  pass  directly  under  the 
guns  of  the  American  fort,  which  was  distant 
only  a  mile  and  a  quarter.  Hence  that  site  was 
totally  unfit  for  a  military  post.  Portlock's 
Harbor,  thirty  miles  north  northwest  of  Urum- 
mond,  he  regarded  as  out  of  the  question  on 
account  of  the  diilficulties  of  navigation.  Al- 
though i)ossessed  of  a  good  harbor,  it  would  be 


4:.iJ 


76 


liritifih    ()cciii>(iti(in 


cut  off  bj'  the  ici'  in  wiiitci',  and  the  ])assaf»e  up 
the  rapids  was  sh)w  and  unceitain  at  any  time. 
Tlif.  location  on  St.  .Iose]»h  island,  where  the 
post  had  been  prior  to  1S12,  i»leased  him  best, 
but  the  ex])ense  incident  to  the  entire  rebuild- 
inj?  of  a  fortification  at  that  place  made  it  seri- 
ously objectionable.  In  view  of  all  the  eou- 
tinji'encies.  the  chief  anxiety  bein};-  for  a  point 
readily  accessible  to  the  Indians,  I'enetanfiiii- 
sliene.  near  the  southeast  corner  of  the  (leorfi,- 
ian  bay,  seemed  to  present  the  fewest  disad- 
vantag'es. 

This  report,  dated  Se])t(Muber  9,  1825,  had  to 
run  the  j;auntlet  of  officialism  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  fully  three  years  more  had  ]>assed 
before  the  order  for  its  adoption  was  promul- 
fiated.  And  so  the  seasons  came  and  went, 
until  at  last,  the  i)atience  of  the  United  States 
government  beinjj  well  nigh  exhausted,  with- 
out having  ])rovided  any  jdace  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  garrison  or  the  safety  of  the  stores, 
and  with  no  more  of  ])rei»aration  than  though 
tiicy  wei'e  escaping  from  an  advancing  and 
overpowering  foe,  they  hustled  themselves 
awav. 


■F 


.^^oOkpl' 


-  i^  ■"  . 

i\ 

■'^r-'^K 

^%aV.  ,  *i 

*:'■:.  '~ 

~      '  ^\' 

.  .•:       w^i":'^^                  '       '^'^-l 

.ik.^  dSf:  - 

.-/       •■       ^'^i^    ■■■■"■- 

'^     3B 

i  k?a 

.^ 

•••■-  "^   .    ■- 

^Mj^iii| 

'?..    A,  ■'       ^ 

■ui^  ^'■"•^■■ 

;wi;:>^-^^..c»i..'\.: 

.^      . 

l:M^??!-;r^:. 

" 

^iMi 

'V  :  \\: . 

^rvhyM^m^^ 

"  :/.  ■  . 

Wm:tA- 

*.# 

;-'<'^Ky/ .':   0 

"/ 

;jj;'/ . .' ; 

ftT-l'-^'v-^   , 

;'"-'^ 

'''  *, 

1         •  ■ 

;.   iv^'*^. 

•   -!■;•  -l 

>  .>^     ' 

V 

^'■:-V-': 

;  •■ 

a 
< 

o 

> 

UJ 

t- 
ui 

S 

UJ 

O 

ul 

X 
I- 


isim 


of   Drummouil    Island. 


79 


1 


The  order  for  the  abjindoninent  of  the  post 
and  the  transfer  of  the  small  garrison  to  Pene- 
tanguishene  on  Matehedash  bay,  having  been 
given,  as  well  as  the  arrangement  for  turning 
over  everything  (except  the  garrison  movables, 
to  an  officer  of  the  United  States,  a  brig,  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
tons  burthen,  luid  been  sent  from  Fort  Erie  to 
effect  the  transfer.  It  was  now  later  in  the 
season  than  it  was  usual  to  attempt  navigation 
on  Lake  Huron,  but  the  evacuation  could  not 
be  longer  delayed.  The  post  was  to  be  left  be- 
hind very  much  as  it  had  been  first  occupied, 
without  adequate  means  for  the  removal,  and 
witli  a  haste  amounting  to  precipitancy. 


For  thirteen  years  tliis  island  had  been  tlie 
abode  of  a  large  number  of  people.  Entering 
upon  it  in  a  wilderness  state,  they  had  made 
for  themselves  real  homes,  and  accumulated 
about  them  quantities  of  those  things  which 
are  necessary  to  home  life,  and  without  which 


I 


80 


Jiritish   Occu>mtioii 


IH 


fi'ontior  life  would  be  unbciirablc.  The  family 
cow.  the  hoi-rie,  tlic  i>ij>s,  the  sheej*.  poult ly, 
snul  the  luoduce  of  their  well  cnvea  for  j;ai'- 
dens,  were  now  to  be  abandoned.  The  dei»art- 
ure  of  the  few  soldiers  whose  presence  had 
been  their  needed  and  only  protection,  made  it 
necessary  for  them  to  remove  with,  or  soon 
after  the  {iarrison  should  be  jione. 

TJie  officers  and  their  families,  accustomed 
as  they  were  to  but  short  residences  at  any 
place,  had  been  obliged  to  provide  for  them- 
selves there,  as  they  wotdd  not  have  done  at 
locations  where  it  was  ]»ossible  to  jjurchase  the 
ordinary  comforts  of  life,  and  so  they  had  had 
their  j-ardens  and  tlieir  domestic  animals.  The 
soldiers,  as  well,  had  en^ajicd  in  aj^riculture,, 
and  so  well  had  they  succeeded  that  they  left 
behind  them  at  departure,  over  two  thousand 
bushels  of  potatoes  whidi  they  had  secured  for 
their  winter's  supply.  None  of  those  Ihinjis 
was  it  jiossible  to  remove  with  them. 


m 


" 


of   Dnimiuotnl   Island. 


81 


Tlu'  -'Duki'  of  Wclliii^loir"  was  not  ablo  to 
take  in  lici'  possible  ( iii'no  even  llu'  jiovci-nnicnt 
]troi»<'i-ty,  and  tlic  garrison  with  their  families, 
and  a,  snnill  Tniled  {States  schooner — the  (Mn 
cinnati — was  chartered  to  assist  in  earryinjj; 
away  what  was  absolnlely  necessary.  But 
even  this  was  not  suHicient,  and  Lieut.  Carson 
was  obliji'ed  to  send  a  larj;*'  (piantity  of  stores 
lo  St.  Josei»h  island  for  winter  stoi*a}i«'.  The 
}j;overnnient  movables  were  j>otten  away,  but 
the  houseludd  furniture  of  the  otticers.  which 
was  their  jtrivate  i>roi>ei-ty,  includinji'  bed- 
steads, chairs,  sofas,  dressers.  ('ui»boards  and 
the  food  sui»plies  which  they  had  laid  in  for  the 
winter,  was  all  left  beliind  for  lack  of  trans- 
l»ort.  Nor  could  these  articles  be  sold,  since 
those  who  i-emained  on  tlie  island  expected  to 
<lepart  as  soon  as  they  could  do  so,  and  they 
well  knew  that  siiwe  these  thiujis  must  be  left, 
tliey  would  fall  into  their  hands  without  pur- 
chase. 


I] 


" 


It 


Si 


82 


British   Occupation 


i» 


It    was    (HI    November    14,    1828,    tlii^a    T. 
Pierce   Simonton,   Lieutenant  V.   S.   A.,   sent 
thither  from  Fort  lirady  to  receive  the  surren- 
<lei',  f-ave  his  receipt  for  the  twent.v  buihlings 
which  had  been  occui>i<Hl  strictly  for  yoveru- 
ment  purposes,  and  on  the  KUli  tlie  two  vessels 
set    sail  in  a  blnsterin}^    snowstorm  for   their 
destination    in    undisputed    IJrilish  territory. 
The  number  of  pcrscms  who  that  day  embarked 
from  the  shores  of  Druminond  island,  as  sliowu 
by  the  return  of  D.  A.  ('.  (Jeneral,  -lames  Wick- 
ens,  was  seven  olti<'ers,  forty  nu'n,  flfteen  wom- 
en, twenty-six  children  and  three  servants;  a 
total  of  ninety-one  peojde.     They  arrived  at 
IVnetanjiiilshene  on  the  '2h•^t  of  the  nu.nih.hav- 
inj;-  endured  the  sfipnu  and  the  cho])  seas  of  Ihe 
(li'orjiian  bay  for  tive  lonj;  weary  days.     Fr(un 
that  date  Urummond  island  passes  oiit  of  the 
realm   of    British    history,    in    all    excei>t    tlm 
claims  for  losses  to  the  ollicers  and  men  sus- 
taiui'd  bv  reason  of  the  sudden  evacuaticm. 


^ 


T 


of  Drummond  Islanil. 


83 


t 


V. 


There  is  a  strauffe  tradition  in  tlie  neiphbor- 
hood,  that  when  tlie  ]?ritisli  sailed  away  ou 
that  Nineniber  day,  they  set  lire  to  tlie  beauti- 
ful little  town,  thinkiufj  thus  to  cheat  the 
Americans  out  of  their  booty.  It  is,  however, 
fairly  conclusive  apiinst  this,  that  the  town 
and  military  structures  were  not  immediately 
destroyed,  that  Lieut.  Simonton's  instructi(ms 
relative  to  ihe  evacuation,  included  the  selec- 
tion and  employment  of  a  careful  man  to  take 
charjie  of  the  iiublic  i>roj>erty  for  the  time  be- 
inj;-. 

* 
»     * 

At  what  time  the  island  was  finally  descried 
is  not  entirely  clear,  but  liiat  the  town  was  not 
desti-oyed  by  the  i-eticatinjj,'  occui)ants  seems 
certain.  The  fannly  of  .lames  Farlinj;',  the  posr 
blacksmith,  remained  in  their  home  at  least  for 
the  wintei'.  and  all  the  circumstances  seem  to 


m 

m 
m 

M 
1.4 


n- 


l.'tr 


84 


British    Occiipatinii 


indicate  that  tlicy  wore  iidt  lacUiiifi-  for  com- 
IHsny.  The  civilians  who,  during  all  the  years 
of  the  occupation  had,  from  various  rcaHons  of 
trade  and  enii)loynient,  in  very  considerable 
numbers  uuide  it  their  hcmie,  were  nol  able, 
even  if  they  desired,  to  obtain  transport  with 
the  troops,  and  from  the  nature  of  the  case 
were  left  to  care  for  themselves.  The  lateness 
of  the  season  compelled  tliem.  no  doubt,  to  re- 
main until  the  followin}^;'  spring. 


»     » 


Neither  does  the  traditiim  that  the  town  was 
wiped  out  by  tire  seem  to  be  borne  out  by  the 
]»resent  ai)pea ranee  of  (he  site.  Tiiere  are  evi- 
dences of  forest  tires,  and  i»rol»ably  successive 
ones,  which  the  rank  growths  of  grass  would 
greatly  facilitiite;  but  it  is  vorthy  of  n(>tice 
that  even  forest  tires  have  not  disturbed  the 
little  cemetery  with  Its  cedar  i»aliug  fence  and 
head-boards  of  wood,  .lames  .1.  Strang,  tl," 
Mormon  king  of  th;'  T.eaver  islands,  ^aid  in  his 
pamphh  (,  "Ancient    and  modern  Michilimack- 


of  Driniunoud  TsItiiuL 


85 


iliac,"  that  ^lackinaw  was  ''enlarged  and  beau- 
tified by  stealiiij?  from  the  Ignited  States  tlie 
town  on  Diununond  island,  surrendered  by 
(Jreat  Britian."  Tlie  truth  of  the  statement  is 
certainly  within  the  range  of  probability.  It 
is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the  dwell- 
ers on  Mackinaw  island,  tindinji'  abandoned 
structures  on  Drummond  which  contained  ma- 
terial siiited  to  their  needs,  shoJild  carry  it 
thence  and  utiliz*'  it  as  best  they  uiv^ht  for 
their  own  comfort. 


*     * 


The  leal  destinction  of  the  town  may  safely 
be  set  down  as  not  the  result  of  human  intent, 
or  yet  of  accident;  but  as  due  primarily  to  the 
ever-actiufi,'  forces  of  nature  which  hasten  to 
obliterate  the  scars  inflicted  on  her  bosom  by 
imperious  man.  Deserted  as  human  habita- 
tions, lacking  the  r<']>airs  necessary  for  tlieir 
preservation,  the  liousi's,  which  were  either  log 
structures  or  bark  lodges,  soon  began  crum- 
bling to  decay,and  when  at  s(»me  time  the  thici; 


-r 


I 


86 


British    OcniiKition 


mat  of  grass  was  kindled  by  a  spark  from  some 
liunter's  fire,  tlie  ruin  was  made  more  com- 
plete. 


.. 


.mm>mi-,^m^^^^m,m^,,^^^^^,.. 


of  Dniuimoiid  Island. 


87 


YL 


.. 


11  is  ii  (11  lions  as  well  as  a  disajii't't'ablc  fact 
thai  while  the  Jiiitish  records  of  the  occni)a- 
ti(m  and  relin(|nishnH'nt  of  Drnnuuond  island 
are  fnl!  and  ]»i'esnnjaMy  coin])lete.  it  has 
jM'oven  inijtossihle  to  secure  from  the  I'nited 
States  dt'itartnients  at  \Vashin}>ton  anythinj;- 
bearing  upon  the  evacuation  and  disposition  of 
the  proi)erty  left  in  the  hands  of  the  War  De- 
j»artnient  bv  the  retiring;  Hritish.  Kepeat«Ml 
i-e(]uests  of  the  War  Dejtartuient  for  cojties  of 
documents  which  fiom  Ihe  very  nature  of  the 
case  must  be  in  theii-  possession,  have  been 
treated  as  jiinj^crly  as  thoujih  it  were  a  subject 
th(  y  did  not  dare  to  uncover. 

They  have,  however,  been  able  to  find  one 
letter,  which  raises  so  many  (piestions  whi<h 
other  documents  oujilit  to  answer,  that  it 
seems  almost  stranjic  that  they  have  even 
diviil^-ed  this.     It  is  as  follows: 


88 


liiitish    Occupation 


Fort  Biadii,  IS  Nov.,  /Ni8. 
Sik:   I  liavc  tlu'  honor  to  inform  \o\i  that  I 
have  received  a  U'tter  from  the  officer  comdj--. 
the  JiritiHh  troo|>s  at  Drummcmd  Island  inform- 
inj.-  nu"  lliat  lie  had  received  orders  from  the 
Commander  of  n»e  Forces  to  turn  over  the  puh- 
lic  bnildinj-s  to  our  (Jovernment  and  requestinji 
me  to  send  an  ottic<'r  to  receive  them.     I  have 
this  day  sent  lireveted  Lt.  Simonton  to  receive 
rhem,  with  directiims  to  emi»loy  a  resjM'ctahle 
citizen  to  take  charfje  of  them  for  the  present, 
the  Itritish  trooi»s   are  to   leave  there   by  the 

mth  or  18th. 

AVith  great  respec(, 
(So-d)  !>•  Wilcox, 

(Uipt.  oth  Uci/t, 

Coiintij. 

Col..   W.  .loNKS. 

A(]jt.  (li'iil.. 

Wash  ill  (/ton  Citi/. 

It  may  be  noted  that  this  letter  is  dated  <m 
the  14th,  and  that  the  n'ceipt  given  by  Lu'ut. 
Simonton  to  the  British  commandant  Avas 
dj'ted  on  the  loth.     ('apt.  Wilcox  say^.  that  he 


' 


of  Drnmmoml   Inland. 


89 


liiid  (lii-('(t('(l  Lieut.  Siuioiiton  to  placi' a  icspcct- 
jiblt'  dti7A'ii  ill  (hiirj^c    of    the  iiroju'ity    to  b«' 
tunuMl  over,  "for  I  lie  ]>r('8»*iit,"  incaninj;-.  un- 
doubtedly,    until     lie    could     receive    further 
orders  fjoiu  his  superiors.     It  is  not  to  be  suji- 
l»osed  for  a  uiomeiit  that  Lieut.  Siinontou  did 
not  make  formal  re]tort  of  his  doinjis  at  Drum- 
niond.  on  his  return  to  Fort   Brady,  nor  is  it 
supposable  thi't  ('a[>t.  Wilcox  did  not  at  once 
report  to  Adjt.  (Jeneral  Jones,  what  Sinionton 
had  done.     Neither  is  ir  in  the  ranj^c  of  prob- 
abilities that  Lieut.    Sinionton    did    not  avail 
himself  of  the  power  conferred  on  him  by  his 
sujK'rior,  to  "emjiloy  a    resju'ctable    citizen  to 
take  cliarp'  of"  the  projierty  for  which  he  had 
jiiveii  his  receii»t,  as  the  representative  of  his 
}j:overnment. 

In  view  of  all  tIh'  circumstances,  it  is  not  a 
Mttle  strani.'-e  that  the  Asst.  Secretary  of  Vuir 
should  declare  that  aft<'r  dilij-cnt  search  in  his 
ottice  no  trace  can  be  found  of  any  rejiort  Ipiv- 
insi'  been  nuule  of  the  t lansactions  attendinjj;' 
the  evacuation  of  Drumniond. 


:i 


VI 


90 


British    Occupation 


YII. 

The  I'uk's  laid  down  in  tlic  ticaty  of  (Ihent 
for  the  detenninjition  of  the  bonndary  between 
the  United  State8  and  the  British  poss'ssions, 
were  not  so  easily  followed  ••"  :nay  have  been 
thouji'ht  i>ossible  by  their  franiers.     All  jdaces 
held  by  either  country  prior  to  the  d«'claration 
of  war,  were  to  be  restored,  and  the  boundary 
was  to  be  run  through  the  center  of  the  jj;reat 
hikes,  and  in  the  center  of  the  uuiin  channel  of 
the  waters  connecting;  the  lakes.     Start inf*-  at 
the  southern  extremity  of  Lake  Huron  and  run- 
ning north,  the  most  natural  center  line  led  to 
the  False  Detour,  at   the  east   end   of  Drum- 
mond  island.     The  custom  of  navigation  has, 
since  the  buildiu}--  of  the  first  locks  at  the  Sault 
Ste.  Marie,  made  the  western  or  Detour  chan- 
nel the  main  channel;  but  it  is  not  certain  but 
that  if  the  sailing-  course  had  been  to  the  east 
into  the  (ieort^ian  bay, instead  of  south  throufrh 
Lake  Huron,  the  eastern  channel  mijj:ht  have 
justly  been  re}j;arded  as  the  main  channel. 


" 


.■ 


!!i'i' 


Tml 


of  Dnnnmond  Islunil. 


91 


From  the  nioiiiciit  lliat  the  coimnissiimcrs— 
OIK'  liiitish  Jind  Iwo  Anu'rican— rntcicd  the 
Detroit  river,  tin-  Hritish  rciMCHcntative 
showed  a  disposition  to  insist  that  tlie  nuiin 
channels  were  invariably  on  the  west  side  of 
the  various  islands  in  their  course,  and  it  be- 
came ne<'essary.  in  nearly  every  case,  to  make 
an  examination  by  nu-ans  of  small  boats, 
soundinjis  and  measurements  ()f  currents,  in 
order  to  c(mvince  him  that  such  was  not  the 
case. 


* 
*     » 


'' 


Mr.  liartlett,  the  British  c<mimissi(mer.  was 
accustomed  to  the  heavy  dinners  and  hard 
drinkinjr  connected  therewith,  of  his  native  en- 
vironment, and  pursued  the  .«ime  custom  on 
board  the  vessel  which  had  been  provided  by 
the  United  States  for  the  work  of  the  commis- 
sion. In  fact,  it  is  amonjj;  the  unpublished  rec- 
ords of  the  boundary  survey,  that  he  indulji;ed 
in  the  Howins  bowl  to  such  an  extent  as  not 
only  to  hinder  the  work,  but  also  to  cause  him 
at  times  to  be  the  reverse    of  amiable    in  his 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


|5  0     

>.5;  llllitt 
':•  1116 


iM 

1.8 


1.4    i  1.6 


^ 

m 


^ 


A> 


o 


em 


'/ 


^?' 


/A 


Photograpliic 

Sdences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAtN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


.V 


'^°  MP.. 


:<p 


'k 


fe 


^ 


\ 


o 


V 


92 


British   Occupation 


M- 


maiuu'i's.  While  passing  np  Lake  Huron,  witli 
the  charts  of  tlie  hikes  and  their  connecting 
waters  before  them,  it  was  agreed  that  the 
course  by  way  of  the  False  Detour  should  be 
the  one  taken.  In  the  nu'antinie,  Mv.  liartlett 
had  had  (? inner  and  an  extra  supjtly  (►f  grog, 
and  when  they  had  passed  the  eastern  end  of 
Driininiond  island  he  began,  in  no  very  i»olite 
manner,  to  charge  that  he  had  been  cheated 
while  dining,  and  that  the  course  should  have 
been  by  th<'  Detour  i)assage.  But  as  he  had 
himself  given  the  insti-uctions  to  the  sailing 
master,  he  soon  found  that  the  charge  of  bad 
faith  against  his  fellow  c()mmission<'rs  would 
not  answer,  and  (piickly  changed  his  tactics. 
He  bethought  him  that  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  consult  his  instructions,  and  asked  that 
the  vessel  '*lie  to"  until  morning.  This  being 
assented  to,  the  night  was  spent  otf  the  north 
east  coast  of  Drummond  island.  In  the  morn- 
ing Ml .  liartlett  had  not  full}'  recovered  his  self 
control,  and  the  suggestion  being  made  that 
the  line  through  the  St.  Mary's  river  be  i>assed 
for  the  time,  and  linally  <ietermined  on  their 
return  from  Lake  Superior,  that  method  was 


of  Dnimiiiond  Tshind. 


93 


adopted.  During  i\w  intin-vening  pciiod,  Mr. 
Bartlett  diHOOvercd  that  the  liritish  had  for  a 
hmg  time  had  ]»ossessioii  of  and  a  scnibhince 
()f  a  military  post  on  St.  Joseph  ishuid.  and  in- 
sisted that  that  ishuid  must,  xmder  the  treaty, 
be  yet  retained  by  them.  15nt  before  tlie  return 
passage  of  tlie  St.  :Mary*s  river,  llie  sailing 
Huister  had  become  somewhat  familiar  with 
Mr.  Bartlett's  moods,  as  att'eited  by  after  din- 
ner potati(Uis,  and  so  timed  his  jiassage  tliat 
the  diflicult  jdaces  sliould  ajtpear  for  tinal  de- 
termination when  he  would  be  in  his  most  pli- 
able moods.  Advantage  being  taken  of  those 
moods,  it  was  slunvn  that  the  true  line  under 
the  treaty  was  by  the  east  e'.annel;  but  that  in 
view  of  the  long  jiossession  of  St.  .Joseph,  if 
that  island  should  be  accorded  to  the  King,  it 
would  even  uj)  matters  \o  such  an  extent  as 
that  there  could  be  no  fault  found  on  either 
side.  The  nu»ment  for  the  tiniil  discussion  and 
determination  ha<^  been  judiciously  chosen. 
:Mr.  J{artlett  ac(iuiesced,  signitied  to  Iha 
draughtsnu'U  that  the  line  so  suggested  was 
agr<'ed  to,  and — (piietly  \v<'nt  to  sleep  in  his 
chair. 


94 


lirifixh    OccKpatioii 


Drnniinoiul  island,  on  which  was  at  tliat 
time  a  military  ])<>st  supjjlicd  with  ample  ai-til- 
ItTV  and  a  vast  amount  of  provisions  and 
stores,  was  thus  lost,  and  irretrievably,  to  His 
Most  Chi'istian  ^lajesty.  The  same  element  of 
]>ei'snasion  which  iiad  been  used  to  influence 
the  Indian  claimants  to  ]»art  Avith  it,  was  able 
to  cause  its  linal  loss.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of 
note,  however,  that  ])rior  to  the  occupation  in 
1S15,  neither  the  liritish  or  Americans  had  re- 
j^arded  this  island  as  of  any  stratejj;ic  im[)or- 
tance,  and  there  had  been  no  claim  thereto, 
backed  by  possessory  rijjht.  It  had  been  en- 
tirely unoccupied  by  the  citizens  of  either 
nation. 


tei'ii 


m  ■ 


of  Brummoml   Island. 


95 


lit  I 


YIII. 

He  whose  powers  and  ju'eiogatives  were  de- 
clared to  be  "By  the  (irace  of  (led,  Kinp;  of 
Great  IJritaiu  and  Irehmd,  Defender  of  the 
Faith.''  etc.,  the  head  of  the  Kn}j;lish  church, 
dhl  not  accoi'd  to  his  military  servants  bau- 
islied  to  a  lonely  spot  in  the  northwestern  wil- 
derness of  the  American  continent,  even  the 
relijiions  care  and  attention  which  was  ac- 
corded to  tl»e  convicts  in  his  i>risons.  For  tlie 
tliii-teen  years  of  their  stay  on  Drummond 
ishuid  the  Kinj-'s  trooi)S  were  unprovided  with 
a  chajtlain.  The  residents  there  were  born,  mar- 
ried, lived,  died,  and  were  buried  "without 
benefit  of  clerjjy,"  And  this,  too,  for  a  consid- 
erable pojMilalion,  the  dutiful  servants  of  "His 
Most  (Mirislian  Majesty. " 


* 
«     * 


96 


liritish   OccuiHitloti 


It  was  not  until  1S2.S,  the  last  season  of  tlu'ii' 
stay  on  the  island,  that  a  cliaiilain  was  sent  to 
visit  thoni — the  Kov.  E.  Boswell,  of  Sandwich, 
the  ref^ular  chaplain  of  that  point.  The  Bishop 
of  Quebec  directed  him  to  make  a  visit  to  that 
far-away  post,  and  reiinested  the  Earl  of  Dal- 
housie  to  direct  that  his  ex])enses  be  allowed 
from  the  public  chest.  ^Ir.  IJosveirs  order  was 
stated  to  be  "in  conse(inence  of  tlu'  destitute 
situation  of  the  inhabitants  of  Drummond 
island — military  and  civil — with  regard  to 
their  utter  deprivation  of  the  services  of  any 
clergyman."  lint,  indeed,  it  had  taken  His 
Holiness  a  very  hnig  time  to  find  out  that 
"utter  deprivation,"  and  to  take  action  for 
some  relief  therefrom. 


Whih'  the  State  ciinrch  was  thus  unmindful 
of  its  own  jK'ople  and  careless  as  to  the  "cure 
of  souls,"  it  need  not  be  doubt ;•(!  that  tlu'  ever- 
toiling,  earnest  and  unwearying  Catholic 
clergy  fi'om  the  Sault   or  Mackinaw,  or  botli, 


of  Dnimmond  Island. 


97 


inadi'  not  infiv(HU'nt  visits,  jiiid  ^^•vve  on  the 
alert  for  the  f^ood  of  tlieir  French  and  half- 
breed  faithful,  as  well  as  the  Indians  generally. 

♦ 
»     * 

Is  it  unreasonable  to  surmise  that  this  trip 
of  Mr.  Boswell's  was  the  beginning  of  the  sum- 
mer tourist  travel  of  clergymen  worn  by  their 
home  duties  and  cares,  who,  given  leave  of  ab- 
sence and  a  comfortable  jiurse  by  their  loving 
llockH,  seek  rest  and  rei-uperation  among  the 
delightful  scenes  and  quiet  i)lace8  which  so 
abound  on  the  shores  of  the  upper  lakes? 

13 


mm 


98 


liiitish    OieKpation 


IX. 

One  of  tlic  h'f-vnds  of  tlu'  tiuu*  of  the  occiipa- 
tioii  whicli  lias  liiijicied  in  th«*  ncijiUboihood  is 
that  of  "The  liiddcn  pot  of  j-old."  The  story  is 
soiiKnvhat  cnidc  and  nnciM-tain  in  its  fonn.  It 
is  related  tliat  a  tiadei-  wlio  lived  in  a  litnise 
located  neav  the  north  end  of  the  little  island 
opposite  the  f^overnnient  wharf,  became  insane. 
He  had  not,  however,  shown  any  danjjerons 
tendencies,  and  was  simply  being-  watched  to 
see  that  he  came  to  no  harm.  One  day  when  he 
chance<l  to  be  left  alone,  he  slipped  out  of  tlie 
lionse  carrying-  his  wealth  of  gold  in  an  iron 
kettle,  and  disappeared  in  the  bushes  toward 
the  south  end  of  the  island.  He  was  not  long 
absent,  but  when  he  returned  he  had  not  the 
pot  of  money  with  him,  nor  could  he  be  induced 
thereafter  to  reveal  the  place  of  its  conceal- 
ment. 

♦ 
»     « 


4 


of  Drummond  Island. 


99 


Like  all  talcs  of  hidden  ]H)ts  of  money — and 
tliey  are  of  fi'eqnent  occurrence — thiw  story  has 
caused  no  end  of  laborious  search  and  di}?}i'i"t? 
over  the  jfround  at  the  south  end  of  the  little 
island.  Even  to  this  day,  the  visitcn-  at  Druni- 
uiond  is  prone  to  cast  a  lonj^in};  look  at  the 
island  of  about  oneanda(iuarter  acres  area, and 
w(uider  if  perchance  it  may  not  be  his  fortune 
to  come  by  accident  upon  tlie  Ion}?  buried  treas- 
ure. It  seems  to  be  one  of  the  peculiarities  of 
secreted  {fold,  that  its  receptacle  is  so  uni- 
formly an  iron  cookinj^'  pot. 

That  this  particular  treasure  was  not  Ion}? 
ago  recovered  and  converted  to  use,  is  'lot 
known;  only  surmised.  If  a  store  of  gold  was 
certainly  known  to  have  been  buried  in  that 
small  island,  there  were  i)eople  enough  at  the 
post  in  those  days  to  have  canied  away  the 
Avhole  island  in  a  week  in  feverish  search  for  it. 


l?ut  there  may  have   been   a  foundation  for 
the  legend.     Insane  peoi»le  have  more  correct 


4 


lOo 


British   Occupation 


h:  I 


ideas  and  f-ood  judf-nu'iit  than  they  are  toni- 
nionly  iivditcd  >vith.     In  the  a.itnnn  <>:  1815 
Assistant  Dejtnty  Coniniissaiy  (Jcneral  ?'()iik, 
who  had  been  with  the  IJntish  forces  at  Macki- 
naw and  had  come  to  Drnnnnond  at  tlie  trans- 
fer thither,  "from  extreme  anxiety  to  ])rovide 
for  the  i»ressin«>'  wants    of  tlie  tro()i»s  and  in- 
dians  in  an  exhanstinl    country,    became    de- 
ranfjfd  in  his  mind."     In  other  words,  the  poor 
feUow  was  broken  down  from  overwork  to  the 
]K)int  of  insanity.     In  addition  to  liis  duties  ;is 
j;eneral  i)rovider  of  everytliing  needful,  he  was 
the  (me   in  charj^e   of   and  res])onsible  for  the 
army  chest.     I'nder  the  circumstances  it  will 
not  seem  strange  to  those  versed  in  the  science 
of  alienism,  that   he  should    have   placed  the 
funds,  in  re}j;ard  to  the  safety  of  which  he  must 
have  sulfered  a  constant  anxiety,  in  some  place 
of  concealment  which  seemed  to  him  in  his  im- 
jiaired  condition    of    mind    would    ensure  its 
safety  from  the   pillaf>e   which   he   constantly 
feared  was  awaiting  it. 


4 


m 

m 

■.i 

IIJ 


of   Dnimwoinl    I  sin  ml. 


101 


Tliore  is  nothinp;  in  the  records  to  show  th.at 
he  (lid  an.vthiiifi;  of  tlie  kind.  Rut  the  records 
are  ample  as  to  the  o<(upanc.v  and  ownership 
o!"  I  lie  little  island,  which  was  orijjinally  occu- 
I)ied  by  ^'le  connnissary  dei>artinont,  and  there, 
n<'ar  the  extreme  north  end  was  a  hu}i,e  balce 
house  for  tlie  use  of  that  service.  Tlu;  necessi- 
ties connected  with  tl»e  arnval  of  the  troops 
on  the  island,  couii)elled  Commissary  Clonic  to 
immediately  erect  a  liouse  for  liimself,  and  as 
tlie  seciuel  sliows,  it  was  a  better  luuise  than 
thosj'  of  the  otlier  otticers.  Tlie  duties  of  the 
commissary  were  performed  duriufi;  the  next 
three  years  by  a  temporary  clerk;  but  in  the 
summer  of  1818,  Mr.  Monk's  disabilities  contin- 
uing, ^^'illiam  liailey  arrived  as  his  successor. 
Ten  years  later,  when  the  claims  of  ofticers  fin* 
losses  incident  1o  <lie  abandonment  of  the 
island,  were  beiiiji  adjudicated,  ^Ir.  Bailey 
testified  that  on  his  arrival  at  the  island  he 
could  find  no  way  of  liousin}"-  himself,  other 
than  to  purchase  tlie  house  on  this  island;  and 
that  he  was  oblij;ed  to  pay  for  the  island  and 
tli(^  house  llwreon,  the  sum  of  two  hundred 
pounds  sterling.    This  projierty  remained  in  his 


102 


British   Occupation 


owiH'iship,  uutil  it    teased  hy  leasou    of  the 
evacuation. 

That  there  was  an  insane  man  resident  on 
the  ishmd  is  clear,  but  whether  Monlv  was  the 
one  to  whom  beh)n};s  the  credit  for  the  conceal- 
ment of  tlie  }iold,  is  not  at  ail  certain. 


The  mystery  of  "The  hidden  pot  of  <j;<)ld"'  is 
still  unsolved.  The  lepnid  remains;  but 
whether  it  evei'  had  any  foundation  in  fact, 
whether  the  pot  of  money  was  ever  hid,  whether 
if  hid,  it  was  ever  found,  whether  if  found  it 
was  restored  to  its  rij^htful  owner,  or  wln'ther 
if  hid  it  still  remains  a  possible  treasure  trove, 
is  all  uncertain.  But  of  this  we  may  be  sure, 
that  as  the  years  revolve,  the  visitors  at  the 
s])ot  will  continue  to  search  for  it  as  for  the 
wealth  hidden  by  the  famous  pirates  of  the 
eighteenth  century. 


mil 


:J 


of  Dnimmond  Island. 


103 


X. 


Tlio  inti('i>i(l  li^lK'niiini  who  sails  near  l>v  «>i' 
ventures  to  land  on  the  shore  of  the  Great 
Manitouliu  island  after  sunset,  is  appalled  and 
his  blood  is  curdled  by  the  sif>ht  of  two  head- 
less soldiers  who  walk  to  and  fro,  elad  in  tin? 
red  eoats  and  other  rej^inientals  of  the  early 
part  of  this  century. 

And  stranjier  still,  when  nij-hts  are  dark  and 
cold,  and  the  belated  fisherman,  lured  by  a  fire- 
light on  the  shore,  thinking  that  friendly  greet- 
ing and  warmth  await  him  there,  runs  his  boat 
(m  the  beach  and  hastens  to  the  blazing  logs 
piled  high  a.  short  distance  away,  h<'  finds  there 
no  fisher  comrade  belated  like  himself,  but  in- 
stead the  two  headless  soldiers  sitting  on  a  log 
in  the  glow,  and  warming  themselves  by  the 
blaze  made  furious  by  the  night  wind.  With 
chattering  teeth,  with  hair  erect  and  eyes  start- 
ing from  their  sockets,  he  runs  to  his  boat  and 
puts  out  into  the  night  regardless  of  the  dan- 
gers of  the  deep,  so  that  he  may  but  be  far 


104 


British   Occupation 


awiiy  from  tlio  unciiniiy  suai'('.-iinen  of  that 
lonely  slioi'o.  And  when  afterward,  being 
jeered  by  his  acquaintances  for  his  superstition 
and  cowardice,  he  goes  to  the  same  spot  by 
daylight,  he  finds  the  selfsame  pile  of  logs 
deeply  charred  by  fire,  but  not  then  burning. 
Nor  does  he  see  any  trace  of  the  two  headless 
redcoats. 


* 


I'M  '* 

1 


It  was  in  midwinter,  so  the  tradition  runs, 
that  two  soldiers  of  t  he  King  deserted  from  the 
post  at  Drummond  island.  They  were  evi- 
dently homesick.  They  longed  for  the  scenes 
of  old  England.  They  could  not  longer  endure 
the  hardships,  the  rigors,  the  lonesomeness  of 
that  little  village  in  the  novthern  wilds.  An 
oflicer  with  more  ample  ]»ay,  and  wife  and  chil- 
dren with  him,  had  some  traces  of  home  life 
and  enjoyment,  from  all  of  which  the  private 
soldier  was  cut  ofl",  he  being  condemn/d  to  the 
monotony  of  fatigue  duty  and  rest,  without  op- 
portunity for  enjoyable  recreation.  They  might 
perchance  have  made  their  way  to  Mackinaw 


i 


^■H 


of  Dniinmoud  Island. 


105 


island,  and  thus  been  freed  from  niilitarv  re- 
straint; hnt  this  M-as  not  tlieir  choice.  They 
evidently  set  out  for  hnme.  Their  liearts  longed 
for  the  lands  beyond  the  risinj^  sun.  The  shores 
and  ba>  s  of  Lake  Huron  wei*e  frozen  over,  and 
over  the  bridge  thus  nuide  for  them  across  the 
unsalted  sea,  they  would  make  their  way  to  the 
farther  shore  of  the  (leorgian  bay,  and  thence 
eastward  to  the  scenes  for  which  tliey  yearned. 


« 
*     * 


Bui  the  post  commandant  was  wrathful 
when  he  learned  of  their  iinannouueed  depart- 
ure, and  stormed  as  only  a  lUiton  or  a  flsh- 
woman  can  storm,  with  swaggering  bluster 
and  volubility  of  oatlis.  Then  lu'  sat  him  down 
and  wrote.  In  his  anger  he  had  sworn  to  have 
the  men  oi*  their  lives.  He  had  murder  in  his 
heart.  When  he  arose  from  his  desk,  an  or- 
derly took  the  sheet  on  which  he  had  written 
and  nailed  it  on  tlie  door  of  the  barracks.  It 
nuide  an  otl'er  of  twenty  dollars  each  for  the 
heads  of  the  two  deserters  if  found  dead,  and 

u 


106 


British  Occupation 


the  snme  for  tlu'ir  bodies  if  found  alive.  There 
were  wliisperinji's  jibout  tlie  post,  biit  there 
were  none  who  dared  to  exjtress  their  thonfihts. 
In  the  indian  eanip  tliere  seemed  s^'^'si^*^!' 
(juietness  than  usual;  but  before  the  day  had 
passed  two  swift  snow-slux^  runners  were  no- 
ticed to  leave  the  i)ost,  as  if  on  an  ur<;ent  er- 
rand. A  ni{j;ht  passed.  A  day — a  sluut  winter 
day — slipped  away,  more  (juickly  dosed  to  the 
denizens  of  Drummond  post  by  the  hish  rid}>e 
which  towered  on  the  west  of  the  town,  and 
under  shadow  of  which  they  were  hid.  .Nn- 
other  lonji-  nifjht  settled  down,  dra^n«'d  its 
weary  length  across  the  northern  ice  and  snow, 
and  at  length  was  driven  far  away  as  the  sun 
in  all  its  winter  glory  rose  from  the  clesir 
depths  of  the  (Jeorgian  bay.  For  since  the 
days  are  shorter  in  those  rej>i<uis  theii'  glori- 
fie«l  briglitness  is  such  that  it  makes  amends 
for  the  brevity. 


'' 


The  post  comnuindant  had  not  yet  taken  his 
morning  coffee  when  in  walked  two  hulian  ath- 


' 


of  Dnimmond  Island. 


107 


letcs  covered  with  frost,  their  breaths  eoniins 
(juickly,  and  their  eyes  eajjer  and  feroeious. 
Advancinf?  to  tlie  center  of  the  room,  each  un- 
fastened from  his  }>ii'dle  si  human  liead  that 
liad  danjiied  tliere,  and  plaiing  it  on  the  table, 
demanded  tlie  reward  for  the  two  deserters. 

Tlie  commissary  was  (inickly  summoned,  and 
soon  th(*  bearers  of  the  heads  were  wasliinj^ 
away  all  thoufjfht  of  the  blood  they  had  treach- 
erously spilled  for  money,  in  copious  libations 
of  the  Kinji's  rum;  mm,  the  main  reliance  of 
the  British  in  those  days  for  the  accom]»lish- 
ment  («f  their  most  nefarious  ends;  nitii,  with 
which  they  made  slaves  and  brutes  of  the  In- 
dians; ru'ii,  under  whose  iuHueuce  they  plotted 
nuissacres  and  murders,  and  by  the  aid  of 
which  these  were  accomplished. 


The  indian  runners,  as  th;'  tale  is  told,  fol- 
lowiufi'  hard  after  tiie  deserters  who.  all  unac- 
customed to  travel  over  the  ice  and  snow,  had 
nuide  their  way  with  difliculty.  came  u]»  with 


■.iWf-r-  •mmmmum,,Hmi,m,m-miH«mm^m.  ■ 


108 


British    Occupation 


-:r:* 


tlicin  on  tlu'  (Ji'cat  Manitouliu  island.  Bnt  tlioy 
(lid  not  warn  tlicni  of  their  dan^i'i'-  lAkc  boasts 
of  i)i('y,  they  sknlkod  out  of  sif^ht  until  a  favor- 
able UHMuent  should  appear.  Weary  and  cold, 
the  soldiers  gathered  material  for  a  lire.  High 
they  ]»iled  the  logs  and  loud  was  tht*  craekling 
of  the  frozen  wood.  The  tlanies  leaped  high. 
Higher  yet  they  ]»iled  the  wood,  and  having 
ealen  their  scanty  supper,  sat  Iheui  down  be- 
fore the  tire  with  no  thought  of  impending  dan- 
ger. Hovering  in  the  darkness  two  red  men 
watched  their  every  motion;  even  their  every 
breath.  Lulled  by  the  warmth  and  dulled  by 
their  weariness,  the  soldiers  dozed.  Peichance 
they  are  dozing  yet,  for  they  never  wakened  in 
this  world.  Stealthily  from  behind  came  the 
swift  swish  of  the  tomahawks  as  they  cleft  the 
air,  falling  upon  necks  conveniently  bending 
forward.  The  deed  was  done.  The  hunting 
knives  finished  th<'  work.  The  two  heads  were 
fastened  by  the  seal])  locks  to  their  girdles,  and 
back  they  hastened,  eager  for  their  money  and 
their  mm. 

The  headless  trunks  remained  sitting  on  the 
log  and  warming  themselves  by  the  fire  which 


of  Dnimmond  Island. 


109 


made  the  night  Iniid  with  its  }>;lare.  And  ever 
since,  unbmii-d,  tliey  wand(n'  on  tliose  shores, 
seelvin^  the  heads  wliich  there  they  lost  while 
sleeping;  and  when  the  ni}>hts  are  cold,  the  fire 
burns  l)ri{i;htly,  and  they  sit  and  warm  them 
there. 


«       » 


So  runs  the  legend.     In  the  records  of  the 
post  no  incidents  are  found  from  which  this 
tragic  tale  could  have  been  woven,     liut  ])ub- 
'ic  records  do  not  always  ])osscss  the  reliability 
suited  to  the  ]furi)ose  of  those  who  would  lay 
open  the  bald  facts  of  history.     In  this  case  it 
is  not  imi»robable  that,   if   two   uum  deserted 
from  the  King's  service,  and  were  killed  by  In- 
dians in  pursuit,  either  Uy  stealth  or  on  refusal 
to  surrender,  the  report  thereof  as<'ribed  their 
demise   to  natural    causes,    and    without   any 
mention  of  the  desertion.     There  were  no  tele- 
graphs or  daily  pap<n's  in  those  days  to  note 
each   transi)iriug   incident,  and   matters   well 
known  and  freely   discussed    at    that  isolated 
post,  might   be    rejiorted    to    head(iuarlers  at 


-*«™HifTW»|Wl»>i'MW«J»!!»«tWJV.«',-%)tf»« 


110 


British    Occupation 


(2u(4)ec  in  niiiniun-  othei-  than  had  bt'cu  there 
understood. 

♦ 

ir  * 


Hut  would  you  know  the  truth  of  this  weird 
narration,  sit  with  fishenneu  of  the  nortlieru 
Lake  Huron  ai-ound  a  cabin  lire,  when  fierce 
winds  are  howling;  their  requiem  for  those  who 
venture  to  encounter  their  wrath,  and  are  pil- 
inf>-  high  the  anji^ry  waters,  and  they  will  tell 
you  that  the  headless  guardsmen  of  the  ^lani- 
toulin  sit  quietly  and  doze  beside  their  fire, 
which  never  fails  to  burn  for  them  on  such  ji 
niaht,  with  a  ruddy  glow  that  sends  its  rays  of 
light  far  over  the  wind  tossed  sea. 


of  Drummond  Island. 


Ill 


XL 


Anotlu'i-  of  the  iciniiiiscent  talcs  of  the  de- 
lta i-tin}i'  British  is  this,  that  in  order  to  lieep 
tliein  from  falliiiji'  into  the  hands  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, they  cast  into  the  bay  some  o'.  the  cann<m 
wliich  tlicy  could  not  take  with  them.  In  proof 
of  this  locjil  lejicnd,  jteopie  passinjf  over  the 
waters  of  the  bay,  at  various  times,  have  re- 
ported that  they  had  distinctly  seen  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  clear  water,  one  or  two  brass  field 
pieces,  the  breeches  and  trunions  being  plainly 
visible.  Having  no  means  at  hand  for  marking 
the  spot,  they  have  been  unable  afterward  to 
discover  the  cannon.  More  than  (me  searching 
party  lias  spent  considerable  time  in  thor- 
oughly jtlanned  and  executed  search  for  these 
lost  ])ieces  of  ordnaiu'e,  but  without  success. 


\i 


*     * 


When  the  British  evacuated  the  island,  they 
took  with  them    no   guns    heavier    than  their 


k'T'^pl 


112 


British  Occupation 


iiiuskcts.  But  it  need  not  be  supposed  that 
they  h-ft  anythinf?  of  that  kind  there.  In  1X20, 
eifjcht  years  pnnious,  a  survey  of  the  ordnance 
stores  at  the  post,  showed  a  total  of  thirty- 
four  Held,  {^v^rrison  and  naval  gnus,  as  follows: 
24  pounders,  iron 8 

18         "  "     2 

4  "  "     6 

8  o/>.  swivels 5 

32  ]>ounder  carronades 0 

24.         "  "  4 

:i  pounder,  brass      1 

2         "  "     2 

In  view  of  lh<-  well  believed  story  that  some 
canium  are  lyinji  at  the  bottom  of  Druniniond 
bay,  the  (luestion  as  to  what  became  of  all 
these  l»i}i  j;uns  durinf»'  the  eight  years  for  which 
there  api>ears  no  nfention  of  them  in  the  rec- 
ord, becomes  interesting. 


«     * 


The  only  transport  sent   to   aid  in  effecting 
the  removal  of  the  post,  was  a  brig  of  one  hun- 


i 


i 


of  Drummond  Island. 


113 


drcHl  and  tlnrty  tons  burthen.  This  vcssc}  was 
packed  in  every  corner,  two-thirds  being  de- 
voted to  provisions,  coniniissary  stores  and  in- 
dian  presents,  and  tlie  remainder  was  tilled 
almost  to  sutt'ocation,  with  the  human  tr<'ight 
and  the  p<'rsonal  baggage.  The  post  commis- 
sary hired  in  addition,  an  American  sloop  of 
fifty  tons,  which  he  loaded  to  its  fullest  <apa- 
city  with  what  were  called  "barrack  stores." 
lint  this  was  not  sufficient,  and  a  larg.  (pian- 
tity  of  material  was  sent  to  St.  Joseph  island 
for  the  winter.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  how- 
»'ver,  that  any  cannon  were  left  lying  around 
among  the  rocks  or  hidden  in  the  underbrush 
on  the  island.  lint  what  then?  Simply  that 
during  the  last  four  or  live  years,  when  vessels 
came  to  the  island  with  the  annual  sui)i)lies, 
they  took  on  for  the  return  trijt,  such  of  the 
cannon  as  they  <'onveniently  could,  and  <arried 
them  to  points  below.  It  is  more  than  i)r()b- 
able  that  the  most  of  the  large  supply  shown 
to  have  been  at  Drummond,  found  a  new  rest- 
ing place  at  the  fort  which  was  then  being 
built  at  Amherstburg. 

15 


»Tmw?*|iiOtM»*HM»KS»R»ft»««***ilt»«*'^'»t-- 


114 


British  Occupation 


It  is  not  inipossiblcN  however,  even  with  this 
view,  tliat  the  two  brass  pieces  shown  in  tlie 
return  of  1820.  are  now,  and  have  been  for  sev- 
enty years,  at  the  bottom  of  Drnniniond  bay. 
They   may   liave  been    placed   in   a    batteau, 
and  that  may  have  been  capsized;  they  may 
have  been  dropped  into  the  water  by  accident 
whih»  in  the  process  of  beinfj  loaded  on  a  ves- 
sel.    The    statement    that    they    have    been 
seen  and  then  could  not  a^ain  be  found,  is  not 
in  itself  improbable,  since  the  action  of  the 
waves  at  the  bottom  would  uncover  at  one 
time  what  they  would  cover  (piite  deeply  with 
sand  at  another. 

There  are  few  jK'rscms  who.  ridinj^  on  the 
waters  of  that  bay  will  not  involuntarily  -ast 
their  eyes  with  peering  jAaze  into  the  depths 
in  the  hope  that  a  glimpse  of  the  brijjht  brass 
pieces  may  be  caught,  and  thus  add  a  slight 
romance  to  their  lives. 


4 


of  Dninnnond  Island. 


115 


XII. 

More  than  to  any  other  point  which  had  been 
in  dispute  between  P^n^hind  and  the  United 
States,  the  Itritish  clunp:  with  greatest  tenac- 
ity to  the  countries  adjoininjjf  tlie  straits  of 
Macldnaw.  A  tirni  foothokl  there,  seemed  to 
them  tlie  key  to  the  whole  nortliwest  territory, 
if  not  indeed,  to  tlie  lands  to  the  southward 
bordering  on  the  ^Mississippi.  They  had 
brought  themselves  to  believe  that  the  control 
of  the  Indians  on  the  American  ((mtinent  was 
not  only  neces^5ary  to  them,  i)ut  to  the  Indians 
as  well.  This  was  no  dream  of  those  who  rep- 
resented the  government  on  this  side  of  the 
ocean;  it  was  the  settled  purpose  of  the  home 
government,  as  shown  by  the  orders  whose 
high  official  ch.iracter  was  attested  by  being 
dated  simply,  "Downing  Street." 

The  aim  of  the  British  government  was  then, 
as  it  has  always  been,  to  "further  the  interests 
of  trade."  Kum,  nuniey  and  blood  were  ever 
ready  to  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  end. 


4 


V ±_ 


I 


1 

t 


116 


British    Ovcupation 


Anv  plan  which  had  thiH  in  view  found  a  ready 
heaiin}-.    The  trade  in  fnrs  liad,  nnder  tlie  t<»s- 
terinfi  ea»T  of  the  {jovernnient.  reached  enor- 
mous jtro}»(»rtions.  and  it  was  not  to  be  tliouj^lit 
of  tliat  it  should  l)e  in  any  way  alnidj^ed.    To 
their  minds  the  existence  of  the  fur  trade  de- 
]>ended  on  the  indians.     They  had  not  compre- 
hended the  fact    that  a  white    trapper  would 
nnike  a  much    larj-er  catch    than  the  averaj^e 
indian.     Uut  even  if  they  had  appreciated  that 
fact,  as  well  as  the  other  fact  that  indian  hunt- 
ing' meant  the  extermination  of  the  fur  bearing 
animals,  yet  indian  liuntinj"'   was  still  neces- 
sary to  the   "interests  of  trade."     The   white 
trapper  must  be    i»aid  for   his  ]>eltries   a  fair 
]>rice  and  in  j-old.    The  indum,  being  tirst  Hlled 
with  rum,  scdd  his  furs  for  gaudy  trinkets  of 
little  worth,  but  at  a  high  price. 

It  was  for  "the  interests  of  trade"  whi<h  the 
entire  IJritish  regime  was  intended  to  foster 
and  uphold,  that  an  absolute  control  of  the  in- 
dians by  means,  first  of  rum,  and  if  that  failed, 
then  by  cannon,  should  be  maintained.  The 
indians  were  necessary  to  them  as  a  people 
whom  they  could    plunder   at  will.     Hut  in  a 


! 


+ 


t 


T 


t 


of   Drummond  IshnuL 


117 


Hcnsc  they  were  lU'ccsssuy  to  the  iiuliaus.  They 
had  taujiht  the  red    men  to  forsake    all  their 
<rafts  for  procuriii};;  food  and  elothinj?.  and  to 
bny  of  them  instead.    They  had  tau^'ht  tln'm  to 
devote  themselves  exchisively    to  fni-  ^ather- 
iu)?,  and  this  had   made   them    doubly  deju  !i- 
dent.     I'nder  the  teaching?  of  the  Uritish.  they 
were  rapidly  losinji  the  art  of  clothin;"  them- 
selves, and  in  li*Mi  of  the  warm  and  serviceable 
pirments  which  they  had  formerly  made  from 
furs  and  skins,  they  had  come  to  need  the  cloths 
of  lU'itish  manufacture,  which  "for  imrposes  of 
trade"  were  made  as  cheaply  as  jjossible.     The 
makinjj;-  and  use  of  the   bow  and   arrow  were 
amon^  their  lost  arts,   and   in    order  to  hunt, 
they    must    buy    from    their    loving'    IJritish 
friends,  the  necessary   jiiins.  powder  and  le-.id. 
The  Kritish,  fidlowinj?  the  example  of  the  Thi- 
listines  of  the  times  of  Sampson,  who  did  not 
allow    the    Israelites    to    have    a    blacksmith 
amonfi  them,  but    comi>elled    every  nnin  who 
needed  to  have  his  iron  tools  repaired  or  sharp- 
ened, to  Ko  to   a  Philistine   mechanic   for   the 
needed  service,  sold  the  Indians  the  ne<essary 
tomahawks,  hatchets  and  axes,  but  compelled 


•«*i™*j™tC(5«l*i.Bi**|.» 


118 


British   Occupation 


them  to  visit  a  Biitish  post  to  have  them  sharp- 
ened. If  the  guns  which  they  had  sold  them 
needed  any  repair,  as  was  too  often  tlie  case,  a 
journey  must  be  made  to  a  Hritisli  post,  where 
a  bhicksmith,  who  was  also  a  gunsmith,  was 
kept  on  government  pay  and  rations  to  render 
this  assistance,  but  for  which  the  indians  paid 
many  times  its  value. 

The  arts  of  civilization  which  the  British  had 
with  such  care  taught  to  the  indians,  were  only 
those  which  were  expected  to  make  them  de- 
pendent, and  by  means  of  tiiat  dependence, 
their  servants.  While  they  used  every  effort 
to  quell  and  avert  wars  among  the  several 
tribes,  they  did  so  not  from  any  ])rinciple  of 
right  or  humanity,  but  because  tribal  dissen- 
sions lessened  the  annual  catch  of  furs  and  in- 
terfered with  "trade"  which,  as  carried  on 
under  the  British  regime,  was  more  villainous, 
and  fraught  with  as  great  atrocities  as  the 
sack  and  jiillage  of  towns  by  marauding  chief- 
tains. Having  made  s<'vvants  of  the  indians 
by  the  use  of  threats,  cajolery  and  rum,  they 
brought  them  to  tight  their  battles;  the  light- 
ing done,  they  repaid  them  for  their  faithful- 


„ 


ii 


of  Dniwmond  Island. 


119 


«^? 


ness,  wounds,  toil,  loss  of  rvlativos  and  hunt- 
ing grounds,  with  showy  medals  of  cheap  metal 
and  of  little  value,  and  filling  them  once  more 
with  rum,  sent  them  again  to  the  gathering  of 
furs. 

The  only  question  upon  which  the  Prince  Re- 
gent was  urgent,  in  his  dispatches  relative  to 
the  evacuation  of  Drummond  island,  was  that 
arrangement  should  be  made  such  that  the  In- 
dians who   lived   in    United  States   territory, 
should  have  some  point  in  his  dominion  which 
should  be   satisfactory   to   them,    where  they 
could  repair  for  their  annual  dole  of  presents. 
Iklackinaw  island  had  been  lost  to  the  British 
as  the  result  of  war;  Drummond  island,  as  they 
deemed  it,  had  been  lost  by  the  failure  of  their 
commissioner  under  the  treaty  to  properly  de- 
fend the  rights  of  the  crown.     This  latter  loss 
seemed  to  them  an  injustice.     In  leaving  there, 
it  was  not  the  being  deprived  of  a  i>articular 
spot  or  a  certain  number  of  acres,  that  galled 
the  British  government,  but  the  necessary  re- 
moval from  the  very  essential  nearness  to  the 
Indians  whicli  rendered    it    easy    for  them  to 
visit  fre(iuently  and  receive  the  careful  teach- 


120 


British    Occupation 


'm\rn  of  the  ofticers  detailed  for  that  tniHt.  They 
could  not  brook  the  idea  that  the  indiaiiH  whom 
in  the  treaty  tliey  had  n^liuiiuished,  were  not 
yet  their  care,  and  i<-  some  extent  their  prop- 
erty. When  the  departure  was  finally  made, 
it  was  arranj^ed  that  such  of  the  Indians  as 
could,  should  visit  Amherstlnirf>;  for  their  pres- 
ents, and  the  others  sluMild  ;;(>  to  IVnetan- 
jjjuishene. 

All  durinj;'  the  occupation  of  Drummond 
island,  the  United  States  j;<>vernment,  knowinji,' 
full  well  that  until  the  Indians  were  estoi)p;»d 
from  visitinjj'the  JJritish  jjoss  there  would  l)e 
no  such  thinj>-  as  (juiet  residence  and  behavior, 
had  used  every  endeavor  to  jiacify  them,  and 
General  ('ass  was  em]>loyinji  his  {greatest  skill 
in  weaninjf  them  from  their  llritish  alle}j;iance. 
It  was  not  without  just  cause  that  he  had  fre- 
(pient  occasion  to  comjdain  of  the  liritish  in 
this  rejjard,  and  to  remonstrate  a};anist  their 
course  in  drawing;  from  the  refjious  far  in- 
land front  the  boundary  betwi^Mi  the  coun- 
tries, a.  traveling;-  horde  of  savajies  to  ]»ilfer  and 
beji,'  from  the  settlers,  and  terrify  the  wonum 
and  (hildren  aiony-  their  route;  a  pestiferoiis 


u 


of  Drummond  Island. 


121 


nuisance  which  the  later  generations  cannot 
well  appreciate. 

But  to  the  protests  of  the  United  States  the 
British  authorities  paid  little  hi^d  in  fact,  al- 
though at  times  using  smooth  words  in  pallia- 
tion of  their  defense.  So  firmly  did  they  cling 
to  their  hold  upon  the  Indians,  that  as  late  as 
1840,  eighteen  years  after  they  had  been  finally 
ousted  from  tlieir  last  foothold  on  United 
States  territory,  and  the  giving  of  presents  to 
them  had  at  last  been  stopped,  George  Iron- 
sides, Sui)erintendent  of  Indian  affairs  at  Am- 
herstburg,  wrote  to  his  superior  advising  that 
the  indians  were  yet  true  in  their  loyalty  to  the 
British,  and  that  he  had  a  well  considered  plan 
for  again  nuiking  soldiers  of  them  against  the 
United  States.  But,  he  said,  it  would  be  neces- 
sary as  tlu'  first  step  in  these  operations,  to 
seize  again  the  straits  of  Mackinaw  and  the 
contiguous  territory. 

Prior  to  this  latter  date,  however,  the  sweet- 
ness had  all  been  extracted  from  that  thereto- 
fore hiscious  fruit.  The  indians  had  been  deci- 
mated by  the  poison  of  British  rum,  and  the 
yield  of  furs  even  to  the  persiskmt  hunter,  had 

16 


122 


British   Occupation 


dwindled  to  very   modemte   propcvtions.     By 
de-rees,  the  British  traders,  shorn  of  military 
protection,  had  btn^n    coniined    to  the  rej,n„„s 
east  and  north  «yf  Lake  Superior,  and  the  com- 
panies wliich  had  accumulated  vast  wealth  m 
the  fur  trade,  were  rrumblinj?  on  their  tinancial 
f(,un(hiti«ms.      And    yet    this    typhal    son    of 
Britain  longed  asain  to  seize  the  waters  con- 
necting the  great    lakes,    plant    there  on  the 
shores  the  Hag  of  the  realm,  and  sumnuMi  the 
few  duskv  braves  who  had  withstood  the  blight 
of  British  friendship,  to  engage  in  ritte  prac- 
tice against  the  people  of  the  United  States. 
Their  dream  of  supn>macy    on    the  American 
continent  seems  to  have  vanished  but  slowly. 
Driven  from  .me  point,  they  retreated  sullenly 
to  another,  and  only    retreated    farther  when 
there  was  no  other  alternative. 

The  occupation  of  Drummond  island  was  but 
(me  of  the  small  episodes  in  tlH>  British  dream 
of  continental  ccmtrol,  but  an  episode  whi.h 
cost  them  th.msands  of  pounds  sterling  m 
funds,  deeper  chagrin  than  if  they  lu.d  obey.-d 
the    tivaty    agreement    at    the    outset,    and 


" 


of  Drnmmond  Island. 


123 


bnmjjht  in  return  no  added  glory  to  their  pres- 
tige or  their  arms. 


<■' 


The  antiipiarian,  or  the  h)ver  of  the  roman- 
tic in  nature,  who  wouhl  visit  the  scenes  and 
phices  sketched   in  the  foregoing    i>ages.  may 
lind  his  way  thither,  in  tlu-se  hiter  days,  with 
ease;  indeed  witli  ])ositive  comfort.  Any  of  the 
steamship  lines  whose  vessels  wend  their  way 
through    the    devious    channels    of    the    St. 
:^lary's  river  will  land  a  pilgrim  to  the  wilds  of 
Drnmmond  at  the  docks  at  Detour,  the  port  on 
the  main  land  directly  oitposite  the  spots  he 
seeks;  from  then«-e.  either  by  small  boat  and 
oars  wielded  by  sturdy  arms,  by  fishing  smack 
with  wide  distended  sail,  or  by  steam  yacht, 
he  may  be  placed  on  the  shores  so  long  held  by 
the  soldiers  of  the  King,  in  contravention  of 
the  stipulations  of  the  treaty  and  the  ecjuities 
thereunder.     As  he  stejis  on  tlie  rocky  shore, 
he  will  be  greeted    most  hospitably,    and  the 


-  "  I  Mirr 1 1'  'ih JrL'i-  L  it  t:  i  i  i  n  t:  ir tO:  r 

-ISML ^ ^ :. 


124 


Drummond  Island. 


hours,  or  days,  or  weeks  which  he  may  linger 
there,  will  be  a  season  of  continuous  delight; 
and  he  will  carry  thence,  memories  more  pleas- 
ing than  often  remain  as  the  legacy  of  a  sum- 
mer outing. 


linger 
light; 
pleas- 
sum- 


1 


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J, 


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KEY                      1 

a 

OpenBreostm^fort. 
B/och  House.. 

b. 

c. 

CommandanthHoust. 

d. 

Barracks. 

e 

dtorc  House. 

t 

Hospital. 

q    OtficerSQuarters. 
n.    Commissary  Huts. 

1 

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k. 

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9 

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Map 

or    THE 

South -West    Point 
Of: 

RUMMOND     Island 

.atlOWING 

British      Occupation. 

IBI5— 1828. 


//a 


\ 


PoRTAQt 


<? 


H;^ 


■/// 


Wa'^ 


"  .anuwiNU 

Britism      Occupation. 

1815—1828. 

Compiled 

FROM 

Old    Maps  oftme    Time. 
Records     • 

AND 

Letters  of   Commandants 

TO 

Headquarters 

"SCALC-. 


